Was it really that bad when Al Franken, holding the temporary gavel for the health care debate, told Joe Lieberman, “I object?” As with most things in the political arena, it seems to depend on who you ask. Today I have a new column up at Pajamas Media where I look at some of the history of U.S. Senate floor fights and what this one might mean for Franken’s future efforts in the upper chamber.
But with that in mind, I’ll pose a question for the populace. The Senate, as I note in today’s column, has long been considered the more distinguished, deliberative body where decorum is the rule, generally taken to an almost archaic degree. Is that a neccesary and good thing for us? Or is it a relic of a bygone age that no longer serves a purpose? Do we need a bit less gentility and tad more WWE Raw? Or, to put it another way, do the long standing rules and traditions improve the process or do they dampen the passion? Perhaps the voters would like to see a bit more fire in the belly and less Miss Manners. Your thoughts?