I’d call it “Success”

And I think you would too.

McClatchy Newspapers reporter, Margaret Talev, bemoans the fact that the Dems haven’t fulfilled a very vast majority of their campaign promises. The culrpit of this national tragedy?

Republicans, of course.

Constant filibuster threat is tying the Senate in knots

Senate Republicans this year are threatening filibusters to block more legislation than ever, a pattern that’s rooted in — and could increase — the pettiness and dysfunction in Congress.

The trend has been evolving for 30 years. The reasons behind it are too complex to pin on one party. But it has been especially pronounced since the Democrats’ razor-thin win in last year’s election, giving them effectively a 51-49 Senate majority, and the Republicans’ exile to the minority.

Seven months into the current two-year term, the Senate has held 42 “cloture” votes aimed at shutting off extended debate — filibusters, or sometimes only the threat of one — and moving to up-or-down votes on contested legislation. Under Senate rules that protect a minority’s right to debate, these votes require a 60-vote supermajority in the 100-member Senate.

Democrats have trouble mustering 60 votes; they have fallen short 22 times this year. That’s largely why they haven’t been able to deliver on campaign promises.

By sinking a cloture vote last week, Republicans successfully blocked a Democratic bid to withdraw most combat troops from Iraq by April, even though a 52-47 Senate majority voted to end debate.

Republicans also have blocked votes this year on immigration legislation, a no-confidence resolution for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and major legislation dealing with energy, labor rights and prescription drugs.

Nearly one in every six roll-call votes in the Senate this year has been a cloture vote. If this pace of blocking legislation continues, this 110th Congress will be on track to roughly triple the previous record number of cloture votes – 58 each in the two Congresses from 1999-2002, according to the Senate Historical Office.

I looked and looked, but I am unable to find any MSM report who whined when the Republican controlled Congress was deadlocked 58 times a session.

I was, however, able to find a number of articles that were cheerleading the filibusters though.

Yes, Virginia, that liberal media.