Thursday 27 June 2013

Wendy took a Stand

Filibustering is an odd thing. If you can talk long enough, then a bill is defeated? I'm surprised it's not happened more. I presume there are conditions around when you can do it, or lots of bills wouldn't have passed... but it seems like everyone knows when they can do it and when they are going to do it.

Case in point being Senator Wendy Davis, who Filibustered for 13 hours... standing, not leaning on anything, not allowed help, can't go to the toilet... what the hell is up with that? Just as well she wasn't disabled!

But the bill she was talking against was to repeal abortion clinics in Texas. Yep, one of them uppity women-folk dared to take a stand against the old white guys who wanted to tell a woman what she was allowed to do with her body, because they believe a medieval text (or at least claim to, so they have power).

And she nearly got there. Filibustering can be stopped if you make three errors or something, and she was caught out nearly before midnight (again, something to do with needing to get a bill voted on before midnight). But then there was still delays taking the record of votes, and not everyone voted before midnight...

...or did they? The record shows all votes were in. This is the same record that previously showed that votes were recorded after midnight. Bah, like facts have stopped them before. But, hey, the bill passed!

...or did it? This is what happens when you piss off the peoples. Uproar (although still largely contained uproar) and discussions, and... the bill didn't pass after all!

But it nearly did. And with shenanigans like this, it could easily pass again.

But at least the media covered it... no wait, no, no they didn't. I watched it unfold on twitter, because CNN and co didn't even acknowledge it was happened, too busy with reruns and Paula Dern. What the hell?

Is it wrong that I really want to see what The Daily Show does with this?

(A more readable version with a better understanding is to be read over at Movie Bob.)

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