Michael, per this post, I’d again like to make this argument: The filibuster is not the problem. The filibuster is the solution. If only they made Senators like they used to.
UPDATE: For those of you Swamplanders who want to delve into the geeky details of what it takes to actually conduct a filibuster, here’s a link to a 2003 report from the Congressional Research Service. It’s not an easy thing to pull off–or to force the other side to pull off–but it’s entirely possible, even under the modern rules, if you’ve got the will. Here’s a key passage:
Although the actual time consumed varies from case to case, clearly filibusters can create significant delays, even when there are 60-vote majorities to invoke cloture. How much delay the Senate experiences depends in part on how much time the Senate, and especially its majority party leadership, is prepared to devote to the bill in question. If the bill is particularly important to the nation and to the majority party’s legislative agenda, for example, the majority leader may be willing to invest the days or even weeks that can be necessary to withstand and ultimately end a filibuster.
(Emphasis mine.)