The political fight over high fuel prices produced little progress in Congress on Friday as Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to force a vote on legislation intended to curb what lawmakers consider excessive speculation in oil futures.
By a vote of 50 to 43, the Senate fell 10 votes short of the 60 needed to cut off debate on the speculation measure as Republicans demanded that they be allowed to offer amendments on lifting a ban on coastal oil drilling, expanding the use of nuclear power, removing oil from Western shale and other energy production proposals.
They key here, is the number 60. Remember when there was a time that a majority in the Senate was, oh, say 51 votes? Hmmmmm.
The only upside to this is the fact that this stupid game being played out since the Democrats took the majority of the Senate in 2006 will be over soon. The disgust with how congress has been working over the past 8 years is not lost on the American voter, and come November, look for even larger gains in the House as well as topping the 60 mark in the Senate so that it will be the end of this pretend filibuster era.
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