A lesson in the process

Today was an interesting lesson in the process for me. As we discussed the list of potential Democratic amendments to the Marriage Amendment "postcard" to Washington, a few wonderful new tricks were observed. First of all, you can use unrelated amendments to make your point in a rather emotional appeal, even if you know your amendment is doomed to fail anyway. It's a great way to make a point in public without the messy business of creating a bill and having it heard in committees first. Genius! Secondly, it is possible to grandstand with your ideas if you are careful to first fill the gallery with like-minded onlookers that will applaud on cue to your thoughtful remarks. Brilliant! Lastly, if you want to be sure to get a good soundbite on the radio, you must rehearse the lines of your floor speech. Artful. I definitely learned something today. I learned that as the majority, we have overlooked the power of parliamentary procedure, and that is a shame. Here's to hoping we do better.