I meant to say “the absence of cloture” when I said “cloture”. I meant it as shorthand. I am not sure why there is such a Kabuki dance about this whole thing. 40 people should NOT be able to prevent the public from knowing whether their Senator is for or against any particular bill.
Allowing the filibuster to stand so the minority does NOT have to vote on an issue that is popular with the public because it threatens their party or their office, is ultimately an act of cowardice. The filibuster is a cop-out by those who do not support majority rule and is therefore fundamentally AUTOCRATIC. The Democrats who support termination of this archaic parliamentary procedure should NOT be afraid to call it what it is. It is fundamentally anti-democratic and Un-American.