Where Assholes Go, Idiots Follow

So, this is a chart of cloture requirements.  For those of you in a democracy that works, perhaps a few words need to be said about what "cloture" is.
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In the Senate you can keep talking as long as you want, this is called a "Filibuster".  I f you ever saw Jimmy Stewart sweat it out in Mr. Smith goes to Washington you have the general Hollywood idea.  Cloture is a vote that ends the filibuster.  So, if you get 60 votes, you can stop the filibuster and move on.
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But today's Senators are no Jimmy Stewart (hell today's Senators aren't even Adam Sandler, maybe not even CarrotTop) so they don't really filibuster.  What they say is - we are going to filibuster - and everyone pretends to believe it.  So they act as if someone is really filibusting (and speaking), and they can't move forward without 60 votes.  This was designed to allow a minority of Senators to stop work, but allow the Senate to move on with other things - without being shut down.  A noble idea, now corrupted.
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As an aside for Americans - in most Parliamentary systems - something like this would cause the government to collapse and a new vote.  Because the Head of the Government (usually a Prime Minister) is elected from the Majority Group of Representatives / Senators (most countries only have 1 legislative body of importance).  If he or she can't control the majority, the government falls and new elections happen.
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Mr. Smith - Filibusting

Even so, the need for Cloture has been relatively rare until recent times, because people don't usually filibuster for no reason.  But the Republicans (the Assholes in this discussion) have increased it use when they are in the minority.  They use it right now for spite.  The Head of the Minority has stated publicly that his primary goal is to make President Obama a one term President.  Not to fix America, not to represent his state, but to deny President Obama a second term.  The easiest way to do this is to screw the economy.  So they filibuster anything that might help the country.
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The Idiots in this discussion are the Democrats.  Who, like lemmings of old, follow the mold of the Republicans and are just as stubborn after the Republicans pave the way.
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It is a system designed for corruption now as big money (make that MASSIVE money) and PR make their way into the system.
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Yay for Democracy, huh?