Matthew Yglesias » The World’s Most Exclusive Club

Nov 20th, 2008 at 11:15 am

The World’s Most Exclusive Club

I cannot believe that (a) Ted Stevens got a standing ovation from his fellow senators, and (b) Harry Reid is now delivering an ode to him. I mean, the man’s a criminal. Senatorial courtesy is a really bizarre institution.

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60 Responses to “The World’s Most Exclusive Club”

The Pop View Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:18 am
This is true. Sometimes the Senate is like a very ornate asylum. As opposed to the House, which is like Bellevue.
mofo Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:20 am
Reid sickens me………..I’m in a profession that also embraces sucking-up in public, but there are still shades & variations of tone that allow for the suck-up w/o “delivering an ode,” as you so aptly put it.
Alex Knapp Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Don’t worry, I’m sure that in 2012 we’ll see campaign ads about how Barack Obama served in an organization with convicted felon Ted Stevens…
Bosch's Poodle Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:23 am
The normal rules of civility, decency, and accountability simply do not apply to the elite. CEOs get multimillion dollar parachutes regardless of their performance. Hedge fund managers and other financial rocket scientists are too important to allow to fail. Those who earn their money from capital gains rather than labor are simply too important to tax at the rates wage-earners are taxed.

And Senators, God bless them - their selfless devotion to public service trumps whatever venal, criminal behavior they’ve engaged in over the decades, and nothing but a standing ovation will suffice.

You, however - if you get caught with a joint or pay your credit card late, you’re f****d for years. The rules apply to you and me. Up there on Mount Olympus? Not so much.
rickhavoc Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am
“If I am guilty of anything, it is excessive loyalty..”
fostert Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:24 am
If there is an institution more unseemly than the United States Senate, I don’t know of it. And trust me, I’ve been at Mafia weddings. I’ve met the worst of the worst. But even they aren’t as bad as the Senate. Even the Mafia has a sense of decency.
castanea Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I really dislike when liberals/progressives/Democrats chide Harry Reid because I’ve always felt we need to direct our hatred at the Republicans, who deserve it much, much more.

And yet I cannot point to one instance of solid leadership or eloquence that Reid has provided. He may be a tiger behind closed doors–I guess we’ll see what happens when tough legislation gets sent through the Senate in the upcoming Congress–but his demeanor seems to be more like a kindly, halfwit uncle who should be tending his begonias instead of a hardnosed political leader who is willing to skin some Republicans in order to advance a meaningful agenda.
Gabriel Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:27 am
If there is an institution more unseemly than the United States Senate, I don’t know of it.

The United States House of Representatives?
Matt C. Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:32 am
I hate to be the pedant in the room, but this isn’t what the phrase “senatorial courtesy” means.
Blork Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:39 am
I cannot wait until some liberal blogger gets arrested and Yglesias publishes an encomium, complete with a “notwithstanding his collection of belts made from the skin of kidnapped children” clause.
Paul Gottlieb Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:39 am
The extraordinary rituals of courtesy in the Senate seems bizarre to us, but they may well work. They originated back when there was a genuine risk of an insult leading to a duel (remember Burr-Hamilton and Andrew Jackson once killing a man in a duel). Where actual violence is a threat,elaborate rules of courtesy are simply prudent.

As nauseating as it may be to watch people like Joe Lieberman and Ted Stevens treated as if they were actually decent human beings, these rules of conduct may help at keeping personal animosities from derailing the work of the senate
fostert Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:41 am
“The United States House of Representatives?”

No. The Senate is even worse. It has the filibuster and the anonymous hold. Top that, House!
Hunter Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I think you fail to understand the enormity of what Ted Stevens accomplished in his tenure, both for good and bad. 40 years is a long time, and that can’t be shunted aside so easily.
Cyrus Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:50 am
The extraordinary rituals of courtesy in the Senate seems bizarre to us, but they may well work. They originated back when there was a genuine risk of an insult leading to a duel (remember Burr-Hamilton and Andrew Jackson once killing a man in a duel). Where actual violence is a threat,elaborate rules of courtesy are simply prudent.

Well, that’s true of most institutions older than 150 years or so, but most of those are a lot less collegial than the U.S. Senate. Remember all the liberals fondly wishing for Bush to face a parliamentary government?
hoi polloi Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The Senate. Remind me again. Why?

Reid and Stevens both represent territory rather than people. If I stuck my head out the window and hollered “Ted and Harry sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g…” there’s a fair chance more people would hear it than live in AK and NV combined. [I'd probably need a little bit of electronic amplification.]

The Senate? Why, again?
Brittain33 Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:53 am
Are they doing this for Larry Craig, too?
zed Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 11:59 am
I can think of a better word than bizarre.

How about dysfunctional?
tammanycall Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
It’s stupid, for no other reason than it will be used against these people by their opponents when they run for re-election. You stood up and cheered for convicted felon Ted Stevens on the floor on the U.S. Senate. That shows poor judgment. I would never disgrace the office like you did. I would never embarrass the people of [blank] by associating with a criminal.
Raymond Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
As much as I don’t like Ted Stevens and I’m glad he’s gone, he’s been in the Senate for 40 years. His leaving is a big event.

Now that he and Sen. Hagel are gone, that’s two more moderate Republicans disappearing. How many are left? Two or three?
Marc Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
I am watching the feed right now online - it’s bizare. Some Senator is telling stories about traveling to Russia and North Korea with Ted Stevens and going on and on about it.

Now he is telling us about what movies Stevens likes…(he loves “Band of Brothers”, in case you were wondering) this is insane.
scythia Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Now he is telling us about what movies Stevens likes…(he loves “Band of Brothers”, in case you were wondering) this is insane.

He likes…baseball. Water slides.
Joseph Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Paean would serve as a better term than ode as it denotes praise. Not that you should care. I just can’t resist.
putnam Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Barack Obama at the Al Smith dinner in late October acknowledged a troubling period in his past with words something like, “And there were years when I did fall in with a bad crowd. I was associating daily with some of the worst deadbeats, crooks and thugs you could ever meet. Yes, I’m speaking of the U.S. Senate… Say, John, aren’t you a member too? I think I saw you at one of our meetings.”
Matthew Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Frankly, as long as you didn’t murder the underage boy you were screwing, you’ll get this type of treatment from the Senate. Even if you are a pederast murderer you’ll still largely get the same treatment, only with the “Before all of this unpleasantness, the Senator I used to know was….” preamble. It’s all just a big circle jerk that they engage in so that they can get their own big circle jerk when they get indicted or thrown out of office.
ostap Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
This falls into the category of “never speak ill of the (recently) dead”.
pseudonymous in nc Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Where actual violence is a threat,elaborate rules of courtesy are simply prudent.

Indeed, sir.

Though it’s funny how that courtesy works on the other side:

Mr. Daschle is the first Senate party leader in more than half a century to lose a re-election campaign. His emotional talk, in which he also urged his colleagues to find “common ground,” was attended by nearly all of the Senate’s Democrats, who gathered him in their arms and hugged him afterward. But only a few Republicans showed up, and Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, who broke with Senate tradition to campaign against Mr. Daschle in his home state, South Dakota, did not appear until after Mr. Daschle finished speaking. The scant Republican showing provoked Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, to speak out. “I don’t know why, why in the closing days, some element of comity, some element of grace, some element of respect for a human being, could not have gotten some of our friends out of their offices,” Mr. Lautenberg said.

So, when Uncle Ted, convicted felon, gets defeated, it’s nostalgia day in the World’s Most Exclusive Asshole Club, but when Tom Daschle, not convicted felon, gets defeated, it’s ‘turn off the lights when you leave, fucker’.
Scott de B. Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Where actual violence is a threat,elaborate rules of courtesy are simply prudent.

Didn’t do Charles Sumner a whole lot of good.
Gaius Gracchus Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
If a valid objection to the Electoral College is that it is markedly and intentionally undemocratic, how much stronger is that same objection to the existence of the senate!

Are you a democrat?

Consider a unilateralism, with House the surviving chamber.

Not bloody likely, you say?

All right, but did you thing elimination of the Electoral College was likely?

No, right?

And did that stop you insisting it’s the right thing to do?
Gaius Gracchus Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
That was supposed to be “consider unicameralism.”

Sorry.
Scott de B. Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
The Electoral College can, in theory, be eliminated by the National Popular Vote movement without an amendment.

On the other hand, no state can have its representation in the Senate reduced without its consent. Period. So it isn’t going to happen, absent a Constitutional Convention.
Greg Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Didn’t do Charles Sumner a whole lot of good.

Preston Brooks was a SoCa Representative, not a Senator.
Persia Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
The Senate is there to protect the rights of the minority, even in good years when the minority mostly consists of people we don’t like. It’s a crappy system, but damn better than the alternatives, IMO.
Paul Gottlieb Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
Those Representatives are a rascally, violent bunch. One of the complaints about the odious Rick Santorum was that he brought the ugly manners and tactics of the House with him to the Senate
asl Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
It’s a send off. Soon he’ll be up in his Alaska wonderland and not a single person in Washington will care about him.
Raoul Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
When Rostenkowski was convicted I was saddened but I still respected the work he had done throughout his career. And the crime, like Steven, was hubris, more a sense of entitlement than actually bribery or selling out. After all, the amounts involved with both citizens were relatively small (200k?)- if they were out to loot, the amounts would have been greater and the actions more discrete. That’s not to say what the Senate did was the best approach, but for the members this feels more like an eulogy: “but for the grace of God, there go I”- so let’s not get our inner garments all moist on a superfluous exercise.
Ramesh Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
#16 Brittain33 Says:

Are they doing this for Larry Craig, too?

No. Craig was caught, in a wide stance, with a live man. They only caught Uncle Ted with some extra furniture that did not belong to him anyway. You tell me which is worse.
commie atheist Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Mr. Daschle is the first Senate party leader in more than half a century to lose a re-election campaign. His emotional talk, in which he also urged his colleagues to find “common ground,” was attended by nearly all of the Senate’s Democrats, who gathered him in their arms and hugged him afterward. But only a few Republicans showed up, and Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, who broke with Senate tradition to campaign against Mr. Daschle in his home state, South Dakota, did not appear until after Mr. Daschle finished speaking. The scant Republican showing provoked Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, Democrat of New Jersey, to speak out. “I don’t know why, why in the closing days, some element of comity, some element of grace, some element of respect for a human being, could not have gotten some of our friends out of their offices,” Mr. Lautenberg said.

But Harry Reid falls all over himself to praise a convicted felon belonging to the other party. Once again, Democrats reinforce the “Democrats are wimps” meme. Feh.
Michael Says:
November 20th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
This actually goes hand in hand with the Lieberman vote by the Democratic caucus.

The status of being Senator outweighs any bad behavior, even criminal behavior.

Really puts the entire institution into an astonishing context.
Craig R. Lane Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 1:50 pm
“Religion is the only reason that the poor do not kill the rich”-Napoleon. I hope I see that change before I die. Welcome to thunderdome mother-f*****s. Sorry, that was rather troll-like.
banjobailey Says:
November 21st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Look, Ted Stevens spent 40 years in the Senate. During that time he gave a lot to all the other Senators in what they were trying to achieve for their own states. They owed him for the votes and influence he gave for their own projects. There is nothing wrong with this: in fact, it is HOW the Senate works.
So, the old 85 year old guy lost his last election under a horrible shroud of felony convictions. The Senate is an INSTITUTION and they do NOT dis-respect their members. They even loved Strom Thrumond, that old Dixiecrat racist with the secret black love child.
So, I am glad that the Senate rose in a standing ovation for the old guy. It means nothing more than an appreciation for ALL he did for each of them when they needed him. And, who knows, what he might have actually done for the country itself when the country needed him. Don’t be so quick to judge, my friends.
Ramesh Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:31 am
Senate did not even conduct open hearings on Bob Packwood. So, in a way this is a part of ’standard operating procedures’.
craig anderson Says:
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:20 pm
The institution is just acknowledging one of its own…
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