It is clear that a new Constitutional Standard has been set for the foreseeable future.  Franken can't be seated unless he has 60% of the vote.  Obama can't pass a stimulus plan or carbon taxes unless he has 60% of the vote. Obama may not get health care passed with a public option unless he also gets 60% of the vote.  Of course I am talking about the US Senate.

There needs to be a concentrated effort among the blogosphere to get the mainstream media to recognize and ridicule the fact that the Senate as a whole is declaring in a time of severe crisis that majority rule no longer applies.  We are no longer a representative democracy; we now require supermajorities to pass any legislation, approve any appointment, and to seat a clearly elected Senator. 

This is not normal.  This is not the regular way of doing business.  Harry Reid and company are just as and more guilty than the Republicans in perpetuating the myth of "60 votes is normal".  Your average Senator adores the fact that they can individually hold up legislation and appointments.  The supermajority rule gives each of them additional power that they had not imagined even 10 years ago.

This is such a critical problem because as we have seen with too many Democratic Senators, passing progressive legislation is way down on the priority list.  Preserving individual Senatorial power is at the top.