It's the Filibuster Rule Stupid

Picture credit: TPMDC

I'm honestly not sure what the big deal is about four Democratic Senators not voting for the Manchin-Toomey amendment to extend some background checks. Or rather I have no clue why Democrats are so upset about at their own when the real culprit here is the filibuster rule.

Dems had plenty of votes to pass the bill.  Plenty.  Per the Constitution it only requires a simple majority to pass and send bills out of the Senate.  There is no mention of a 60-vote threshold in the entire document.  The 60-vote rule is a relic left over to protect the minority.  It's useless and it's the real reason Dems didn't pass the bill.

Besides, even if the four Democrats pictured above had voted with their Party and not sided with the GOP, the bill would have went no where.  There isn't a chance in the world the House would have picked it up.  In other words, it was never ever going to become law.  So why the frustration with four senators who were clearly voting exactly how the majority of their state wanted them to vote?