TPM Editor’s Blog

The Filibuster That Dare Not Speak Its Name

It’s become clear over the last 24 hours or so that Sen. Bunning (R-KY) isn’t really alone in his filibuster that’s triggering all these Medicare and Unemployment insurance cuts. He’s being actively assisted or at least encouraged by a number of his Republican colleagues. But in a lot of press reports, not only are reporters unwilling to call it a filibuster, they don’t even mention Bunning’s name. It’s just “senate gridlock.”

Some of this has to do with the fact that even a few days in a lot Democrats seem bizarrely eager to keep this whole thing a secret. But it’s really a press failure. Can you let me know when you see examples of the use of this phrase or other efforts to obscure what’s going on here?

Josh Marshall

Josh Marshall is editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo.com.

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