Start of something big? No; while I'm proud of Sen Sanders, this is simply being fed up with Republican obstructionism and hostage taking and having the Senate grind to a halt like the Republicans want... till re-enforcements come Jan 2. Too much on the docket for Reid not to step in and plead a deal. No motive for Republicans suddenly put the nation first here in December. No fat cat welfare... no dice. And Americans vote for these fiscal criminals???? Shame on us as a people.

I don't care if this particular act is only a gesture. The class war is here and a few of those in power are willing to say so. It's the first thing I've seen in months that's made me a little hopeful.

Yes, true. But there is far too much on the Obama/Reid docket for this to become a year ending gesture. I hope TRMS can post a transcript of Sen Bernie Sanders filibuster because he is shedding a great deal of insight into the insideous resource/wealth hoarding the wealthy are getting away with, i.e., the top 1% having 9% of the wealth in the 70's, but now owning 24% of America's wealth, yada, yada. The top 10% must own, what, 65%? 90% of Americans own just 35% of their country???? Thank Reaganomics. Sanders has the details.

Rachel needs to address the Big Picture Narrative, on a substained show basis, of how this has gone down. Allowing Repubs to pin this American decline on Obama is shear HYPOCRISY.

Bernie aka mr. smith- you make me proud, even if i am from ny.

the top 10 % own 90% of the country's wealth. Millions are in bankruptcy and that is a negative percentage.

I have to agree, I think it's time all people need to unite. if they can't come together for the good of the people then we all need to do our part.

PhxKenster -

"...too much on the docket"? Phx - the main reason for Senator Sanders' Berniebuster today was to stop the current "compromised" that President Obama made with O'Donnell - that will not go to vote until Monday!

It is not too late for any of the items Sanders so eloquently covered today. They are all up for vote in the latest "compromise"!

Can not imagine any members of our Congress, who have been in favor of the Tax Bonus, NOT being completely overwhelmed and beaten down by the massive interest in the entire 8 1/2 hours of his time! How do any of these folks go forward with the current "compromise" after Sanders representation of the 98%?!?

So many c-span viewers that we crashed their site - very first time this has ever happened to this site!!!

Go Bernie!

Finally, someone who stands up for the 95% of us disgusted with both parties.

Lady Red,

I was simply countering MechTrek's opinion that this might be the start of something big. I WISH IT WAS! If something big is simply making a headline, than I was wrong. But it simply got swept under the run after all was said and done. Business as usual in Washington. Kicking the can down the road is translated into living to fight another day and the continued compounding from 1981's $1.0 Trillion National Debt... to today's $22 Trillion in National Debt P&I burdens over the last 29 yrs.

Krugman wrote of "Obama's Hostage Deal". Look no further than Reagan's ex OMB director David Stockman NYT's op-ed piece July 31st, 2010 where he identified the hostage takers as his Republican party (no surprise, but his outline of what damage they've done is breathtaking in its scope: "The Four Deformations of the Apocalypse":

1.) Trade deficits of $8 Trillion since Nixon's defaulting on the Bretton Woods agreement for America to balance its books with the rest of the world.

2.) Budget deficits and the National Debt. Starve the Beast with the burdens a COSTLY national debt will bring to Dem's social programs, SS, Medicare.

3.) See #1, "The Hollowing Out of the American Economy". Importmania, cheap goods, US manufacturing base decimated.

4.) An UNPRODUCTIVE Financial Sector DOMINATING the US Economy. It makes nothing itself except for fees generated for moving more and more money around.

When the Lean Forward network, MSNBC, starts to truly address the BIG PICTURE, assembling a narrative, doing its economic history homework, and details how republican voters continually vote against their interest and scoop up this gift on a silver platter David Stockman is articulating, a KEY Regaganomics architect, it become obvious as day why America has ground to a halt via all these unsubstainable policies brought on by Nixon, Milton Friedman, Reagan, Reaganomics, and the two Bush's. The one Dem in the mix, produced projected budget surpluses as far as the eyes could see. And now.... Obama is BURIED under the mess. As if we the nation aren't too.

Yeah, I'm proud of them both! I thought Landrieu especially was owned by BP.

Well, yeah, she is owned by BP, but like Darth Vader, there is still a part of her untouched by the corrupting influence of the evil emperor.

"Mary, I am your faaaaaaather!"

Landrieu voted for the tax cuts under Bush, why now is she flipping? Perhaps a little posturing or maybe to undercut the Pres.

Ah, the filibuster as I learned it in civics class. I thought it was extinct.

You haven't watched the republicans abuse it over the last two years?

Larry, those weren't actual filibusters like this, those were just threats and procedural wrangling.

The Republicans never used it, they just had to threaten and Reid would back down. If the thugs are going to use the filibuster, make them earn it and force them to stand there and speak continuously till they exhaust themselves.

Can someone explain to me why when the Republicans do a filibuster they go to lunch and when Sen. Bernie Sanders does a filibuster he has to do a Mr. Smith goes to Washington style filibuster? I think this is what most people think a filibuster looks like. Too bad all of America isn't watching this because they would find out just how patriotic (patriotic for China, India etc.) conservatives really are.

I think hanging around while a filibuster is going on would interfere with Friday night's Happy Hour.

In 1975, the Senate reduced the number of votes needed to invoke cloture to three-fifths (60) of Senate membership. At the same time, they made the filibuster "invisible" by requiring only that 41 Senators state that they intend to filibuster; critics say this makes the modern filibuster "painless."

http://uspolitics.about.com/od/usgovernment/a/filibuster.htm

Thank you! More clarity is always appreciated. Thanks again!

The awesome thing about this old school filibuster is that they are talking substance, not merely filling up minutes. I've learned a fair bit while listening to this that I didn't know about this disastrous bill.

This ain't content-free filibuster, which might require phone books. Sen. Sanders is using this as an opportunity to air all of his greatest concerns about where America is right now, and he is doing so with eloquence and passion.

Sanders for President in 2012~!

Is this gonna get broadcast, though? Everything he's saying NEEDS to be heard by other than we wonks.

You bet - go to C-Span 2 Live!

News sites are starting to notice. I've seen mention from the Washington Post and Politifact. Hopefully, it'll get some network TV coverage. @KeithOlbermann says it'll be on Countdown tonight, and I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it on TRMS, too.

It's been amazing how much actual content it's had so far. Great points being made. With spiffy charts and everything.

I just hope it does some good. One of my senators (Sen Menendez, D-NJ) says he's voting for the package:

http://menendez.senate.gov/newsroom/press/release/?id=74d5ae09-6997-4647-bd12-70ac0f4cd920

Meantime... I'm a @MaddowBlog Twitter pal! Excuse me while I take a moment to revel in geeky excitement.

... And then back over to actually watching C-SPAN for the first time in my life. Because it's just that amazing.

This is actually the first time C-SPAN has shown anything worth watching.

So many viewers of C-span today that we crashed their site.....for the first time ever!!!!

"Compromise this"!!!! Bernie Sanders for President or King!! An actual man "for the citizens"!! Had lost all hope that I would ever see such a thing in US government again in my lifetime!!!

Senator, sir.....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!

Amen to that, Randy!

And if he drinks, I'll spring for a 6-pack!

Why is he standing there speaking for such a long time with no other Senator stepping in and picking up the slack? Maybe he needs to rest. They should be tag-teaming this filibuster.

brown: 202-224-2315

landrieu: 202-224-5824

sanders: 202-224-5141

I just sent an email to Pat Roberts' office. I couldn't get an answer on the phone, but I asked him where he is right now, and if he's doing as much to represent me as Bernie Sanders is? Hmmmm. It seems bizarre that I get more understanding from one of those elitist liberals than from my Republican senator. Maybe it's not as bizarre as I would want to believe.

go senators, go!

My son has several Dr. Suess books..I'd be happy to personally deliver them to the Senate floor. The Grinch would be especially appropriate.

Yes, progressives are the real values voters. Liberty and justice FOR ALL.

Yes, one of the best kept secrets of the Catholic Church: social justice teachings.

Keep at it.

Because it's not a Republican doing this. I guarantee you, if Sen. McConnell or Sen. DeMint or someone like them were doing this, then it would be splashed onto the front pages of every website in the country.

Unbelievable. This is the most important political speech -- not to mention one of the most important political developments -- this entire year!

It goes to show that Noam Chomsky was entirely correct in his brilliant Manufacturing Consent: the news is biased primarily by what it ignores, not by how it covers what it chooses to cover.

if Sen. McConnell or Sen. DeMint or someone like them were doing this, then it would be splashed onto the front pages of every website in the country.

Yeah, you're right. It would be a headline because they actually did something and didn't just THREATEN to do something.

Thanks for the heads up

I use to think he was doing that kind of plans with in plans stuff, but it never pans out that way. Given how every thing else has gone down and especially with Bill Clinton trying to sneak in the back door today, it looks like the Obama team was blind sided by Congress's reaction to the deal. They probably thought they were going to be heroes for getting all the stuff they got into the deal given that the Republicans just spent 2 years refusing to negotiate on any thing.

You got it, Brian. Obama had no secret plan here.

Debra give me a break, he may be smart but not that smart plus he is a Liberal Republican at heart a Rockefellar Republican and not Jay who is a democrat, but Nelson, and that's giving him a big benefit of the doubt, because he publicly idolizises ronald Regan and no progressive could ever do that.

P.S. I am Black ,over 60 voted for Obama in the primary over Hillary,altho Edwards policies were the progressive ones, not O's ,he was very nebulous during the campaign but I thought Hillary would bring back yhe Clinton team,well we got the Clinton team without a Clinton,mistake.

Obama blindside? Congress was blindsided by Obama negotiating a deal for them without first getting their authority on the terms of the negotiation. This would be just cause to bring him before the Bar Association on an ethics violation if he negotiated a deal for a client without the client's authority; I find it just as unethical that he negotiated on behalf of Congress without their authority. Couldn't let the "blindside" comment go without remark.

On the main topic of this thread: Yeah, Bernie et al. Bernie right now is not just filling the time, but rather, putting out substantive information about the economy and the negative effects of the Bush tax cuts. I hope they don't become the Dem tax cuts.

ok - I get it. It was hope on my part as I am just so heartened to see Mr. Sanders up there giving it his all - from the heart.

I wish we had seen this kind of passion a lot earlier, and from more than just Sen. Sanders. I wish those that were not busy campaigning had been busy anticipating a Republican held majority in the House and had set to work on preparing a bill for the tax cuts.

I do hope the president is listening because I cannot stand hearing one world uttered from the dripping mouths of Boehner and McConnell. They both make me physically ill.

I wish we had filibustered like this back in the health care days for the Public Option, et.al. , and perhaps then those idiots from Koch and company would not have owned the news cycles day in and out.

Problem is, what kind of credibility will the Dems have once the bill passes both houses? If they don't stop the bill then all this fist pounding and filibluster was all for show.

Make no mistake folks. The top 98% of Dems are probably in that top 2% of America. I'm sure they'd like to keep their tax ransom money also.

I've been thinking. You know how tired people are getting of Obama policies (as laid out in the campaign) not passing? Think about how it must feel for him. I bet he's exhausted. Maybe that's why it looks like he's giving in.

This filibuster is getting in the way of his deal (and Sen Sanders keeps addressing his comments to "Mr. President"), but maybe it'll inspire him.

We can only hope.

I used to be of the same opinion...that perhaps he was playing smart politics on a complicated three dimensional Star Wars chess board as John Stewart once put it, but it has become clear that it is simply too much capitulation and too little fight.

"Mr. President"

In this case, Mr. President is President pro tempore of the Senate. I wish he was addressing Obama. Perhaps, Pres. Obama will be confused by the use of the term "Mr. President" just like many of us.

Ah, thanks. Shame. But yeah, I hope the President of the country was listening, too. (Rather than just listening to President Clinton.)

Except... I'm still a bit confused. I clearly heard "Mr. President" in his remarks on the floor, but his tweet when he ended it ( http://twitter.com/#!/senatorsanders/status/13385506247151618 ) said "Madam President." So maybe the remarks were addressed to President Obama?

revision /correction: it's $700 bbbbBillion over 10 years (not PER Year)

(sorry for the misrepresentation) ~ deb

After getting kicked (again) by Obama for pressuring him (as he said we should do!), this is a sorely needed gesture, and one that might spark something larger.

This is a filibuster in the true sense of the word. When Sen. Thurmond filibustered the Civil Rights Act in the 1960s, this was what he did -- not the so-called "filibuster" we get today where if you don't get 60 votes for a bill, the bill fails. What we call the filibuster today is nothing more than a partisan trick the Republicans use because it lets them derail legislation without actually having to do anything.

No that is not the law but an agreement worked out by the parties basically the Dems.If the Dems don't roll over when they don't have the votes to close down the fillibuster,then those who want to fillibuster must take up the Senate's time by talking on and on. Nothing gets done but those objecting have to go one after the other speaking and permitting nothing to happen. To you think if the Repubs and the Blue Dog Dems(altho Mary Landreiu is a Blue Dog Dem)were making speeches it would only be carried on C-Span? Do you think that if CNN,FAUX,and network news were reporting that the Rebups were talking all day about nonsense so that their could not be a vote on the middle class tax cut and UI which would be passed by the majority in the Senate that the votes would show up to close off the fillibuster.

This is a filibuster in that they're talking a lot (more than 6 hours now), but there's hardly anyone in the room. As you'll see noted above, there aren't any votes scheduled for today. They've even mentioned a few times in their speeches that the vote isn't until next week. This is all symbolic. But I hope it works all the same.

Ahem.....

BERNIEBUSTER!!!!