John Cole’s argument on reforming (not doing away with) the filibuster. And he also has the most delightful ways of describing politicians:

If I were to reform it, the reform would be simple. When someone filibusters, the Senate shuts down. Period. No committee meetings, nothing. And it stays shut down until the filibuster is defeated. Make people pay a political price for filibustering bullshit, but keep it in place to defend issues like civil rights.

Other reforms I would like to see are getting rid of anonymous holds, and changing the rules so that appointees get a, get this–up or down vote. No more dragging that out forever. The President proposes someone for a position, you vote on it. No more endless committee hearings, no more scuttling the nomination because McCain missed his Geritol or Mary Landrieu wants to tongue-kiss the oil industry.

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(Source: underthemountainbunker.com)

@benpolitico:  
  A quick ‘blood libel’ thought. Palin’s aides, including @thegoldfarb, get the context — so this is a pot being stirred, not an accident…

Instead of saying “both sides do it,” it may be more correct to say that the Tea Party does it to “both sides:”

Think Progress:

Just hours after 22-year-old gunman Jared Loughner launched a shooting spree at a Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) constituent event in Tucson on Saturday that left six dead and 14 wounded, Legislative District chairman Anthony Miller, a Republican, announced that he would resign his position. In an email to the state’s GOP chair, Miller cited “constant verbal attacks” after his election last year “and Internet blog posts by some local members with Tea Party ties made him worry about his family’s safety.”

[…] The newly-elected Dist. 20 Republican secretary, Sophia Johnson of Ahwatukee, first vice chairman Roger Dickinson of Tempe and Jeff Kolb, the former district spokesman from Ahwatukee, also quit.