ID: I know it's pandering, but this last year we've lost a lot of momentum, so I want to talk about your porn.
Batman: (sigh). It's sad that this is what it took for you to get your affairs in order.
ID: Heh. It's at least a little ironic that Superman actually filmed a porno movie, one you immediately bought up the rights to then shelved, and now, your alter ego at least, is starring in not one but now two pornographic adventures. I mean, over the years there have been knock-offs, probably the most notable having been “Dickman and Throbbin,” but this is actual, honest to god Batman porn. Why haven't you stopped this?
B: I don't think I could, honestly. If I tried for a defamation suit, or sued for libel or damages, the case would probably go along the same lines as when Jerry Falwell sued Larry Flynt- okay as parody on Free Speech grounds. Now, at first I talked to Lucious [Fox] about quietly buying up a majority stake in Vivid video, and we were about midway through that deal when we found out another company was making a similar film; the genie was out of the bottle at that point.
ID: But let's be clear, here, there's been Batman porn for years, it's just been relegated to internet drawings, and to the kinkier fetish and bondage sites.
B: That's right. But the reason the Vivid movie was a bigger threat is I spent most of my life crafting Batman to be something more than human, something difficult to comprehend. Watching Batman have sex is the opposite- a Batman who has sex is human, with weaknesses, who can be killed.
ID: But, and I don't think I'm really letting anything too sensitive out of the bag, but you've always been human, right? So's the current Batman. Of course, by only human what we really mean is that you were the peak of human physical conditioning and intelligence, like if Stephen Hawking were put into Bruce Lee's body by way of Brad Pitt's face- and even then, you're greater than even the sum of all those parts.
B: I'll assume you're not coming onto me
ID: Not a bit- my girlfriend would kill me- but you have to admit, objectively, you're a pretty spectacular specimen of the human condition.
B: I've er, boned up on Dale DaBone's work [the actor playing Bruce in Batman XXX], and while I might be impressive, I'm not that spectacular.
ID: Oh my god; I can't believe the first penis joke of the interview was not made by me.
B: Well, if nothing else, having multiple porn yous running around in tights will teach you to have a sense of humor about yourself.
ID: But if I can steer things for a moment back into serious territory: what do you think the tights community will think of this?
B: Honestly, I think this has been a long time coming. We're all public figures, at least according to parody laws, so this has been legal at least going back to the Falwell case. And particularly because of the reception Vivid has received pre-release, they decided to open a whole superhero imprint. So I'm just the first of many, it would seem.
ID: Axel Braun [the director] is no Sleez, but he does seem to have a passion for the subject matter.
B: And I'm not entirely certain it's a bad thing. With Batman, I think I had to compensate, maybe overcompensate, for the fact that I was human and was trying to exist in a world with true superhumans. But most of the members of the community, and most of the league, they're actually the opposite. In an earlier time, most of them would have been worshiped as gods, and while I do believe that no amount of appreciation for their work and their sacrificies could ever be enough, I do think that there's a peril there.
Take Clark, for example. He had for all intents and purposes his own cult. He deserved love, and respect, and honor, but worship? He didn't want that, and he did everything possible to dissuade his followers. But because outwardly he had this godlike appearance, and godlike abilities, it was impossible for people to get to know his humanity, to understand that inside Clark was the most human person I've ever met. And I've always thought that makes our heroes that much more heroic: they're people, with desires, fears, faults, and yet they still get up and do what they do to help people. Being human makes them better heroes, not worse.
So I think, while these films are likely to challenge some in the community, and I'm sure there will be more than one fist fight over dalliances real and implied, I think the end result might just be a world that better understands the people who are willing to lay down their lives in its defense. If the cost is making my butler blush every now and again- I think that's something I can live with.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Revelations
ID: I'm sitting down with the Batman, billionaire industrialist Bruce Wayne. He contacted me shortly after the passing of his friend and confidant, the late Superman, Clark Kent. To anyone live in a cave not inhabited by bats this last year, his identity was revealed by "accident" during an interview with Kent. Now, in quick succession, he has three revelations to share. Whenever you're ready, Bruce.
Batman: I'm quitting.
ID: You wear a lot of hats and cowls and such; care to elaborate.
B: Being Batman. I'm stepping down from it. My first Robin, who many of you will know better as Nightwing, will be stepping into the role.
ID: Now why is that? I understand why he'll be taking your place in the League, and even why he'll be assuming your place at the head of your impromptu bat “family,” but why not just leave it at that, let him still be Nightwing?
B: Vanity, I suppose. Because the Batman is my legacy, and I'd rather see it outlive me. But there's also other facets to that question. For example, why does Nightwing want to take the title and costume- because he does- and that's another reason why I want him to take over. And finally, because I think Batman matters. Not that Nightwing doesn't matter or hasn't, but I think Batman is symbolic, because there are people who Nightwing has been punching in the face his whole life who will still, for incomprehensible reasons, fear him more in a pointy-eared cowl.
ID: Okay, that's one. The second has to do with why you're quitting now.
B: I have AIDS. I've been living with the HIV virus for years, but recently the disease has progressed to the point of full blown AIDS. I'm still in physically good shape, but my immune system is compromised to the point where I would be a liability to my friends and colleagues if I did not relinquish my cowl.
ID: That's two down. The third revelation?
B: I believe I'm a homosexual. I've had long-term romantic relationships with women, and let me state unequivocally right now that each of those have been legitimate. The women I've dated I've cared for genuinely, and when I said I loved them, I meant it. Some might argue that that would make me bisexual, and, historically, I would agree, but I think, in light of all sorts of things, that I am and will continue into the foreseeable future to be a homosexual.
ID: And that brings us to our first official question of the interview: why are you here? You could have given a press conference, could have bought a giant laser and carved these three facts on the moon and signed it with a bat symbol, so why are you talking to me?
B: Mostly because I appreciated what you did for my friend. Despite your own inclinations, I think you dealt with him fairly, and tried to maintain his sense of dignity throughout. On the one hand, I think those qualities ought to be rewarded; on the other, I think I'd like to be similarly treated. But mostly, I think, it centers around one question: in a world without a Superman, who's going to notice that the original Batman's retired?
Really, this has been a long time coming. I've been sick for years, and been taking and trying all manner of treatments. But in that time I couldn't talk myself into giving up- I thought, and this was probably mostly vanity, that the world needed me. I think, in hindsight, I needed to be a part of the world far more.
Another factor is that the people who know me, my impromptu bat family as you called them, intervened. In a nutshell they told me that they've talked to doctors, and from this point on I'd be taking time off my life. I'm not exactly terminal, at the moment- people with AIDS can live relatively long, healthy, full lives, but if I continued to put the kinds of stresses being Batman does on my body, I'd be dead very soon- assuming that I wasn't done in prematurely by any number of the toxins several of my more colorful adversaries routinely make use of that my body is no longer equipped to fight. So basically we made a deal, whereby they would continue the work we've been doing so long as I retired.
ID: What was your other option?
B: I think they were going to taking turns kicking the hell out of me until I came to my senses.
ID: But do you think they could have? Aren't you the goddamned Batman?
B: I used to be.
Batman: I'm quitting.
ID: You wear a lot of hats and cowls and such; care to elaborate.
B: Being Batman. I'm stepping down from it. My first Robin, who many of you will know better as Nightwing, will be stepping into the role.
ID: Now why is that? I understand why he'll be taking your place in the League, and even why he'll be assuming your place at the head of your impromptu bat “family,” but why not just leave it at that, let him still be Nightwing?
B: Vanity, I suppose. Because the Batman is my legacy, and I'd rather see it outlive me. But there's also other facets to that question. For example, why does Nightwing want to take the title and costume- because he does- and that's another reason why I want him to take over. And finally, because I think Batman matters. Not that Nightwing doesn't matter or hasn't, but I think Batman is symbolic, because there are people who Nightwing has been punching in the face his whole life who will still, for incomprehensible reasons, fear him more in a pointy-eared cowl.
ID: Okay, that's one. The second has to do with why you're quitting now.
B: I have AIDS. I've been living with the HIV virus for years, but recently the disease has progressed to the point of full blown AIDS. I'm still in physically good shape, but my immune system is compromised to the point where I would be a liability to my friends and colleagues if I did not relinquish my cowl.
ID: That's two down. The third revelation?
B: I believe I'm a homosexual. I've had long-term romantic relationships with women, and let me state unequivocally right now that each of those have been legitimate. The women I've dated I've cared for genuinely, and when I said I loved them, I meant it. Some might argue that that would make me bisexual, and, historically, I would agree, but I think, in light of all sorts of things, that I am and will continue into the foreseeable future to be a homosexual.
ID: And that brings us to our first official question of the interview: why are you here? You could have given a press conference, could have bought a giant laser and carved these three facts on the moon and signed it with a bat symbol, so why are you talking to me?
B: Mostly because I appreciated what you did for my friend. Despite your own inclinations, I think you dealt with him fairly, and tried to maintain his sense of dignity throughout. On the one hand, I think those qualities ought to be rewarded; on the other, I think I'd like to be similarly treated. But mostly, I think, it centers around one question: in a world without a Superman, who's going to notice that the original Batman's retired?
Really, this has been a long time coming. I've been sick for years, and been taking and trying all manner of treatments. But in that time I couldn't talk myself into giving up- I thought, and this was probably mostly vanity, that the world needed me. I think, in hindsight, I needed to be a part of the world far more.
Another factor is that the people who know me, my impromptu bat family as you called them, intervened. In a nutshell they told me that they've talked to doctors, and from this point on I'd be taking time off my life. I'm not exactly terminal, at the moment- people with AIDS can live relatively long, healthy, full lives, but if I continued to put the kinds of stresses being Batman does on my body, I'd be dead very soon- assuming that I wasn't done in prematurely by any number of the toxins several of my more colorful adversaries routinely make use of that my body is no longer equipped to fight. So basically we made a deal, whereby they would continue the work we've been doing so long as I retired.
ID: What was your other option?
B: I think they were going to taking turns kicking the hell out of me until I came to my senses.
ID: But do you think they could have? Aren't you the goddamned Batman?
B: I used to be.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
HCR Passed
Batman: I’m proud of our Congress today. I’m a democrat, and I’ve never really seen a problem saying so in public. I give a lot of money to democratic candidates, I’m fairly active in the party. So in that regard I’m not Clark. But I didn’t have much of a dog in the healthcare fight.
I abandoned private insurance for my workers a long time ago; the administrative fees insurers charged was making the already steep curve of healthcare less and less affordable, and Wayne Enterprises is a large enough company that we were able to create our own insurance pool. And wherever possible, we don’t hire outside contractors; anyone we can have in-house we do. So I really had no stake in healthcare reform.
Then Clark got sick. He never used his health insurance, but within a week of his diagnosis with cancer, the Planet’s insurance company tried to cancel his plan. Perry White, the Planet’s EIC, called them up and told them Clark Kent’s policy staid, or they were going to lose the entire Planet account. That’s just the kind of guy Perry is. A few days later and the story had worked its way up to me; I haven’t owned the Planet very long- a few years- I bought it out from under Lex Luthor when he was on one of his tirades. I personally called the insurance company and cancelled the Planet account, and brought them into the Wayne insurance pool.
But the damage was done. Clark had seen the nasty side of the insurance industry. Not that there was much the insurance could have done for him. The vast majority of his treatment, which obviously wasn’t successful, took place in either S.T.A.R. facilities or WayneTech.
As the year of healthcare reform wore on, Clark became more and more animated. He wanted to help people, and he realized that this one bill could help more people than he could in the time he had left. It’s the first time I’ve seen him drag politics into the League meetings, and he took more than one of our junior members to task for repeating demonstrably false claims about the bill. It was one of the few areas where I think Clark was unaware of his own strength, but I remember he cornered Hawkman for basically quoting Sarah Palin about death panels. And Clark, when he got upset, he had this way of getting breathy, and suddenly the air all around you was warm and moist and you would immediately start to sweat, and he boomed “There are NO death panels.” It was because he could hold a thousand times as much air in his lungs than a normal human being, and did, without thinking about it. And Hawkman would have dropped his mace if it hadn’t been on a leather strap around his wrist.
But I’m beginning to stray from the point. I wasn’t particularly animated about healthcare reform, because I knew that single payer and a public option were a pipe dream, even with a pseudo-supermajority in the Senate. But I am absolutely a democrat, so I supported the President and the Congress on those grounds.
But a few months ago, the prognosis was grim; Scott Brown’s election had a lot of people adopting defeatist language, and precedent said the democrats were going to fold like a cheap suit.
But because of Clark I started paying more attention to it. I’ve always been a proponent of insurance reform, and have on more than one occasion thought about starting an insurance company within WE- one that operated on a non-profit basis. But beyond the fact that such an organization usually has selection bias issues which make it tougher to realize the cost savings necessary to cut premiums accordingly, I honestly believed that the only real solution was for the government to step in and either regulate intensely or nationalize it. But because of Clark, healthcare reform became something I paid attention to; I even read Jonathan Cohn’s TNR blog religiously. Every rise or dip in the polls
And almost surprisingly, the democrats didn’t fail. Over the years I’ve grown accustomed to the democrats being on the right side of an issue, but lacking the courage of their convictions to do a damned bit about it. Obama’s gambit, allowing Republicans to show just how mean and ugly and petty they could be, without really opposing them, worked out, and Nancy Pelosi, who I think was the real hero behind healthcare reform, was able to deliver the votes in the house. The democrats didn’t fail. For the first time in a while, I’m actually proud of my party.
Now, we should discuss logistics, since this is likely coming out before the first segment of our interview, because while we taped that ages ago, it turns out that, in a world without its Superman, and equally in a continually struggling economy, there was a lot that needed my attention. And
DI: Judging by the uncomfortable silence and piercing glare, I take it that’s my cue- but I’ve been dealing with some personal shenanigans, some of which have to do with being an often freelance writer whose main printed magazine folded in part because of the lousy economy. So the delay was mutual- though much more my fault than Mr. Wayne’s.
B: You don’t have to call me “mister;” Bruce works just fine.
DI: Actually, your eyes kind of scare me. I think “mister” is good for now. But we are going to be starting up the ongoing interview with Mr. Wayne soon, just as soon as a few things stabilize.
B: Though it was never meant to be a weekly occurrence anyway. Billionaire industrialist, adventurer- I want to be as open and accessible as possible, but sometimes other demands in my life have to take precedence. Still, I’m looking forward to it.
I abandoned private insurance for my workers a long time ago; the administrative fees insurers charged was making the already steep curve of healthcare less and less affordable, and Wayne Enterprises is a large enough company that we were able to create our own insurance pool. And wherever possible, we don’t hire outside contractors; anyone we can have in-house we do. So I really had no stake in healthcare reform.
Then Clark got sick. He never used his health insurance, but within a week of his diagnosis with cancer, the Planet’s insurance company tried to cancel his plan. Perry White, the Planet’s EIC, called them up and told them Clark Kent’s policy staid, or they were going to lose the entire Planet account. That’s just the kind of guy Perry is. A few days later and the story had worked its way up to me; I haven’t owned the Planet very long- a few years- I bought it out from under Lex Luthor when he was on one of his tirades. I personally called the insurance company and cancelled the Planet account, and brought them into the Wayne insurance pool.
But the damage was done. Clark had seen the nasty side of the insurance industry. Not that there was much the insurance could have done for him. The vast majority of his treatment, which obviously wasn’t successful, took place in either S.T.A.R. facilities or WayneTech.
As the year of healthcare reform wore on, Clark became more and more animated. He wanted to help people, and he realized that this one bill could help more people than he could in the time he had left. It’s the first time I’ve seen him drag politics into the League meetings, and he took more than one of our junior members to task for repeating demonstrably false claims about the bill. It was one of the few areas where I think Clark was unaware of his own strength, but I remember he cornered Hawkman for basically quoting Sarah Palin about death panels. And Clark, when he got upset, he had this way of getting breathy, and suddenly the air all around you was warm and moist and you would immediately start to sweat, and he boomed “There are NO death panels.” It was because he could hold a thousand times as much air in his lungs than a normal human being, and did, without thinking about it. And Hawkman would have dropped his mace if it hadn’t been on a leather strap around his wrist.
But I’m beginning to stray from the point. I wasn’t particularly animated about healthcare reform, because I knew that single payer and a public option were a pipe dream, even with a pseudo-supermajority in the Senate. But I am absolutely a democrat, so I supported the President and the Congress on those grounds.
But a few months ago, the prognosis was grim; Scott Brown’s election had a lot of people adopting defeatist language, and precedent said the democrats were going to fold like a cheap suit.
But because of Clark I started paying more attention to it. I’ve always been a proponent of insurance reform, and have on more than one occasion thought about starting an insurance company within WE- one that operated on a non-profit basis. But beyond the fact that such an organization usually has selection bias issues which make it tougher to realize the cost savings necessary to cut premiums accordingly, I honestly believed that the only real solution was for the government to step in and either regulate intensely or nationalize it. But because of Clark, healthcare reform became something I paid attention to; I even read Jonathan Cohn’s TNR blog religiously. Every rise or dip in the polls
And almost surprisingly, the democrats didn’t fail. Over the years I’ve grown accustomed to the democrats being on the right side of an issue, but lacking the courage of their convictions to do a damned bit about it. Obama’s gambit, allowing Republicans to show just how mean and ugly and petty they could be, without really opposing them, worked out, and Nancy Pelosi, who I think was the real hero behind healthcare reform, was able to deliver the votes in the house. The democrats didn’t fail. For the first time in a while, I’m actually proud of my party.
Now, we should discuss logistics, since this is likely coming out before the first segment of our interview, because while we taped that ages ago, it turns out that, in a world without its Superman, and equally in a continually struggling economy, there was a lot that needed my attention. And
DI: Judging by the uncomfortable silence and piercing glare, I take it that’s my cue- but I’ve been dealing with some personal shenanigans, some of which have to do with being an often freelance writer whose main printed magazine folded in part because of the lousy economy. So the delay was mutual- though much more my fault than Mr. Wayne’s.
B: You don’t have to call me “mister;” Bruce works just fine.
DI: Actually, your eyes kind of scare me. I think “mister” is good for now. But we are going to be starting up the ongoing interview with Mr. Wayne soon, just as soon as a few things stabilize.
B: Though it was never meant to be a weekly occurrence anyway. Billionaire industrialist, adventurer- I want to be as open and accessible as possible, but sometimes other demands in my life have to take precedence. Still, I’m looking forward to it.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Preview: Massachusetts
[NOTE: This was recorded Tuesday night]
B: I know we haven’t actually posted the first segment, but I want to talk about Massachusetts. Living in New England, Delaware, specifically, it’s in my backyard.
That was actually one of my more amusing moments, reading your interview with Clark, when he admitted he was a Democrat. I always told him it was pretty obvious, really. I think the only person who ever thought he was a Republican was his mother. But I’m a Democrat. And a lot of Democrats are terrified.
Massachusetts is a Democratic stronghold. All of their statewide offices are held by Democrats. The Kennedys are a legacy in Massachusetts. Even a few weeks ago, it was inconceivable that a Democrat wouldn’t win the seat Ted Kennedy left open when he died of brain cancer.
But it was only inconceivable because the Democrats lacked imagination. First off, Martha Coakley was a terrible candidate. It’s the problem with primaries- they have a tendency to pick candidates that may not fare as well in general elections: like John Kerry, to recall the other senator from Massachusetts.
Second, Americans are worried. It isn’t about health care, really, or the rest of Obama’s agenda, either. It’s about the economy, stupid. 10% unemployment scares people. They see layoffs everywhere they look, and it’s impossible not to wonder if they’re next. And if they do get a pink slip, they know just how difficult it will be to find another job.
Third, where the Democratic agenda has landed them in hot water is in its focus. When people are worried about feeding their kids, the absolute last thing that people want to think about is being generous and charitable. And that’s the frame the Democrats have been using during the healthcare debate. What would have made the legislation ten times more palatable would have been nixing all the talk of covering the uninsured, and instead focusing on reforms that make insurance more affordable, and make coverage portable even in the event of a job less. That’s not to say that the rest of the bill is meaningless, but the way it’s discussed has been fatally flawed- even terrifying to some people. Massachusetts is the one state in the nation where healthcare really shouldn’t be a factor in an election like this, because Massachusetts already has this kind of healthcare reform, and it’s popular, too.
Fourth, even when Democrats have done things that directly effect jobs, like the stimulus, they forget to talk about it. The stimulus didn’t create too many jobs, but it saved thousands of state and local government jobs, kept thousands of state and local governments from having to make really painful cuts to services when the bad economy would have made those cuts that much worse.
Fifth, Americans don’t like a supermajority. There’s a belief in this country that a balanced Congress can synergize the best ideas of the right and the left. Look at what happened in Georgia. In the general election there was a fairly tight race for the Senate, tight enough that neither candidate got 50% of the vote, so there was a mandatory run-off contest. But in the interim, Democrats had won what was one vote shy of a supermajority. Subsequently, the Democrat lost by five times what the deficit was in the general election.
Massachusetts wasn’t about anything other than the electorate worrying about themselves, and I don’t mean that in a disparaging way. Things have gotten bad enough that most Americans worry about falling into that widening sinkhole of people without jobs, with foreclosed homes, without insurance, basically without hope. If Democrats don’t want to be spanked come November, they’ll find a way to make Americans hopeful again.
ID: … oh, you’ve stopped talking. Okay. Uh. How might they do that?
B: Probably the best way would be to change the filibuster.
ID: To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, wouldn’t using the nuclear option piss off the electorate?
B: The real question is whether or not Americans would prefer Senatorial gridlock, which is the current status quo, or getting the business of the people done. The filibuster is decidedly undemocratic, because it allows a minority to prevent the majority from legislating. I’m not saying we have to do away with it entirely, but lowering it to 55 would certainly change the dynamic.
And the filibuster isn’t sacrosanct. It was changed several times in the last century. The ability to vote for cloture, the end of a filibuster, didn’t exist until 1917. In 1949, the cloture requirement was changed from 67 senators to 60. And until 1975 filibustering required that opponents of a bill continue debating twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, to maintain a filibuster. The nuclear option has actually been used three times, though this “precedent” was retroactively removed. And really, debate over the nuclear option has been ongoing since 2005, when a Republican majority started talking about using it.
ID: So you’re saying for the Democrats to legislate effectively, they should emulate Republican tactics?
B: I’m saying a good idea is a good idea. In 2008 Republicans used the filibuster a record 139 times, almost double the Democrats’ usage when they were in the minority. This means that twice a week Republicans stopped debate on a bill.
Republican strategy is focused on preventing Democrats from legislating effectively. And they can do that so long as the filibuster remains intact.
ID: But you’re a billionaire. Shouldn’t you be a Republican?
B: If I were only concerned with the size of my fortune, maybe. But I believe the primary role of government is to be an advocate for its people, to serve as a check on the power of others with influence on American life. And compared with the power of other nations, compared with the influence of corporations like my own, I think the American people need a strong advocate.
The first actual segment of this interview will be coming shortly, but in the meantime, well, he couldn't help himself.
B: I know we haven’t actually posted the first segment, but I want to talk about Massachusetts. Living in New England, Delaware, specifically, it’s in my backyard.
That was actually one of my more amusing moments, reading your interview with Clark, when he admitted he was a Democrat. I always told him it was pretty obvious, really. I think the only person who ever thought he was a Republican was his mother. But I’m a Democrat. And a lot of Democrats are terrified.
Massachusetts is a Democratic stronghold. All of their statewide offices are held by Democrats. The Kennedys are a legacy in Massachusetts. Even a few weeks ago, it was inconceivable that a Democrat wouldn’t win the seat Ted Kennedy left open when he died of brain cancer.
But it was only inconceivable because the Democrats lacked imagination. First off, Martha Coakley was a terrible candidate. It’s the problem with primaries- they have a tendency to pick candidates that may not fare as well in general elections: like John Kerry, to recall the other senator from Massachusetts.
Second, Americans are worried. It isn’t about health care, really, or the rest of Obama’s agenda, either. It’s about the economy, stupid. 10% unemployment scares people. They see layoffs everywhere they look, and it’s impossible not to wonder if they’re next. And if they do get a pink slip, they know just how difficult it will be to find another job.
Third, where the Democratic agenda has landed them in hot water is in its focus. When people are worried about feeding their kids, the absolute last thing that people want to think about is being generous and charitable. And that’s the frame the Democrats have been using during the healthcare debate. What would have made the legislation ten times more palatable would have been nixing all the talk of covering the uninsured, and instead focusing on reforms that make insurance more affordable, and make coverage portable even in the event of a job less. That’s not to say that the rest of the bill is meaningless, but the way it’s discussed has been fatally flawed- even terrifying to some people. Massachusetts is the one state in the nation where healthcare really shouldn’t be a factor in an election like this, because Massachusetts already has this kind of healthcare reform, and it’s popular, too.
Fourth, even when Democrats have done things that directly effect jobs, like the stimulus, they forget to talk about it. The stimulus didn’t create too many jobs, but it saved thousands of state and local government jobs, kept thousands of state and local governments from having to make really painful cuts to services when the bad economy would have made those cuts that much worse.
Fifth, Americans don’t like a supermajority. There’s a belief in this country that a balanced Congress can synergize the best ideas of the right and the left. Look at what happened in Georgia. In the general election there was a fairly tight race for the Senate, tight enough that neither candidate got 50% of the vote, so there was a mandatory run-off contest. But in the interim, Democrats had won what was one vote shy of a supermajority. Subsequently, the Democrat lost by five times what the deficit was in the general election.
Massachusetts wasn’t about anything other than the electorate worrying about themselves, and I don’t mean that in a disparaging way. Things have gotten bad enough that most Americans worry about falling into that widening sinkhole of people without jobs, with foreclosed homes, without insurance, basically without hope. If Democrats don’t want to be spanked come November, they’ll find a way to make Americans hopeful again.
ID: … oh, you’ve stopped talking. Okay. Uh. How might they do that?
B: Probably the best way would be to change the filibuster.
ID: To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, wouldn’t using the nuclear option piss off the electorate?
B: The real question is whether or not Americans would prefer Senatorial gridlock, which is the current status quo, or getting the business of the people done. The filibuster is decidedly undemocratic, because it allows a minority to prevent the majority from legislating. I’m not saying we have to do away with it entirely, but lowering it to 55 would certainly change the dynamic.
And the filibuster isn’t sacrosanct. It was changed several times in the last century. The ability to vote for cloture, the end of a filibuster, didn’t exist until 1917. In 1949, the cloture requirement was changed from 67 senators to 60. And until 1975 filibustering required that opponents of a bill continue debating twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, to maintain a filibuster. The nuclear option has actually been used three times, though this “precedent” was retroactively removed. And really, debate over the nuclear option has been ongoing since 2005, when a Republican majority started talking about using it.
ID: So you’re saying for the Democrats to legislate effectively, they should emulate Republican tactics?
B: I’m saying a good idea is a good idea. In 2008 Republicans used the filibuster a record 139 times, almost double the Democrats’ usage when they were in the minority. This means that twice a week Republicans stopped debate on a bill.
Republican strategy is focused on preventing Democrats from legislating effectively. And they can do that so long as the filibuster remains intact.
ID: But you’re a billionaire. Shouldn’t you be a Republican?
B: If I were only concerned with the size of my fortune, maybe. But I believe the primary role of government is to be an advocate for its people, to serve as a check on the power of others with influence on American life. And compared with the power of other nations, compared with the influence of corporations like my own, I think the American people need a strong advocate.
The first actual segment of this interview will be coming shortly, but in the meantime, well, he couldn't help himself.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)