Senator Booker breaks Senate speech record. So what?
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has broken a 68-year-old Senate record for holding the floor and bloviating for more than 25 hours. The record had previously been held by Democrat South Carolina Senator Strom Thurmond – who railed against civil rights legislation with a 24 hour and 18 minute filibuster. Booker waxed on for 25 hours and 5 minutes.
Thurmond’s record still stands as the longest filibuster in history. That is because Booker was not engaged in a filibuster. He did not take the floor to stop legislation. His sole purpose was to gain publicity for a long, rambling rant against the Trump administration. Gaining publicity was the objective – and in that Booker was very successful. His physical and oratorical achievement was greeted with widespread publicity – and with the predictable hyperbolic praise of political allies.
Yes, Booker has secured himself a place in the history books as the greatest windbag in American history. Other than that, what has he achieved? I say, “Not much.”
Based on media reports, virtually nothing he said was reported substantively. It would be hard to find any American – including those who piled on the hyperbolic praise – who could refer to what he said other than a snippet here and there. In fact, most folks hardly knew this marathon oration was taking place until the final moments garnered media attention.
The speech was a publicity stunt to be infused with concocted significance by home team cheerleaders. It appears that any true awe associated with his record breaking speech centered on questions of urination. Was he wearing a secret catheter and bag? (His staff says “no”.) If that is true, Booker’s greatest achievement may be the human record for not urinating.
(If he was not secretly and discretely urinating and orating at the same time, I would have expected him to break the record and RACE to the nearest persons’ room. But he hung around without any display of urgency. Now THAT is amazing.)
In his Gettysburg Address, President Lincoln said, “The world will little note, nor longer remember, what we say here …” While Lincoln was wrong, that self-assessment could more accurately apply to Booker’s speech.
There were no memorable passages. No great vision. Nothing that makes memorable speeches memorable. Booker gets a footnote in history. Nothing more.
Other than political performance, the Booker speech lacked the substantive gravitas to be more than a physical and biological achievement worthy of the Guinness Book of Records – right up there with Gerard Jessie, who holds his own “hot air” record by extinguishing the most candles with flatulence.
So, there ‘tis.
So why do you think this is something you need to write about since nobody cares? Need a bit of extra cash this month to make up for your time recuperating’? That would appear to be the only reason for this tome that nobody gives a shit about…
Just wondering if he had a Catheter on?
So here is a Democrat who now holds some sort of record and
had the attention of the country.
What substance of important information did he enlighten on the American Public?
Did he achieve his oral objective? Did he even have one?
What part of politics did he change?
How were his words information worthy?
Did he sway any on the fence voters?
24 Hours in Congress and he accomplished the same goal or record
of someone in the record books fort tipping the most cows!
And still, this was more information than Kamala in all her speeches!
Have the Democrat’s just run out of anything to say?
I have always said, ( Lipstick on a pig )
So what? He broke the fucking record for longest speech on the Senate floor, that’s so fucking what. Seems like a lot of people caught some portion of the speech; I wonder what the numbers were about 23 hours in. Then the market crashed and Nero Trump went to Florida to play golf with the Saudis.
Larry, how you cannot cheer Booker’s achievement as a testimony to a major pillar of our democracy — the filibuster, is beyond me? If Ted Cruz spews for 25 hours, I don’t care what he said, I would tip my hat for how he said it in support of our Democracy and democratic right to free speech. I would listen to some of it even though I don’t want to hear almost anything Ted has to say.
It’s history in the making. This story is a new low point for you in favor of your steadfast win-lose modus operandi where Dems bad, Repubs good, and Larry knows it all because he’s seen it all.
Yes, it was not a filibuster but it was the longest Senate floor speech in history while spotlighting a time-honored, and to me, cherished form of free speech unique to the American experience. Even if it didn’t fit exactly in your approval or definitional cubbyhole. Hey Larry, the term anal-retentive does have a hyphen, after all. FYI: I hated when Biden attempted to do away with the filibuster. I hate the “modern filibuster” and yearn for the days when men were men, speechmaking was more prized than a tweet, and only the strongest amongst us could do what Cory did. And real men would respect that.
And I thought there were plenty of priceless and timeless takeaways from the night just as I did Cory’s Spartacus speech. But I am from NJ and I like listening to Cory, always have. In NJ, for Cory, we say “When Chuck Norris has nightmares, Cory Booker turns on the light & sits with him until he falls back asleep.”
For NJ, Cory is Super Booker, able to leap to the longest Senate floor speech in history in a single bound. Not unusual for Cory, able to beat back fire in a single breadth, Cory, who once “saw flames and smoke from the second floor of the building next to his home,” and he ran in not once, but twice, and the second time it was the second floor against the cries of his protection. Cory who is faster than a speeding bullet when he broke up a basketball court gun fight. Cory, able to sweep faster than a Roomba when he joined Newark’s public works team to clear streets and run errands for snowbound citizens. Cory, stronger than an Amazon by delivering diapers to desperate families. Cory, who shovels snow for old ladies, who lived in Newark because it’s his constituency. Amazingly, there’s always a reporter, but still, we love him still. (fyi: the gunfight is questionable for sure, early Cory story, urban legend perhaps).
Remember, Cory Booker won the Kobayashi Maru.
Cory, because in NJ, when there’s something strange in the neighborhood, who you gonna call?
SUPER BOOKER.
Cory is also fun; has a great sense of humor, so, if it’s for PR, it’s good PR because it’s fun. Cory renewed a spotlight on a time-honored tradition by giving the longest Senate floor speech in history. IMO, that’s good for Congress, that’s good for America, and I would love to see your team give the record a try. Or even a good speech. Yes, I think he wore the bag or depends; is that against the rules? Thurmond took one bathroom break, Cory did not. How can you not honor the patriotic homage of his accomplishment? And those eyes, especially at the end. He is fun. What is wrong with you that you cannot tip your hat to his stamina, his drive, his claim to history, even if you don’t like the words. In NJ, we think he’s a mensch.
Larry, on your filibuster definition, thanks, because that’s what I would have called it until I read your whine. Whine on harvest moon, cry me a river. Ohhhh, Larry feel likey loser so Larry must turn it into a win. US – THEM.
Actually, while Larry has the current definition of filibuster, in regards to our Senate correctly, stated, where did it come from? Historically, filibuster was originally used to describe an unauthorized military adventurer, specifically “an American engaged in fomenting insurrections in Latin America in the mid-19th century,” Webster. It comes directly from the Spanish word “filibustero,” which translates to freebooter or pirate.
That’s right, SUPER BOOKER has achieved pirate status, garrrrr. Another checkbox covered. Pirate. Good for Cory, keep up the fight and keep making us laugh. You remember laughter, right grumpy?
Why did Cory speak? In his own words:
“So tonight I rise with the intention of getting in some good trouble. I rise with the intention of disrupting the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able. I rise tonight because I believe sincerely that our country is in crisis and I believe that not in a partisan sense because so many of the people that have been reaching out to my office in pain, in fear, having their lives upended. So many of them identify themselves as Republicans.”
“Did we speak up when 73 million American seniors who rely on social security to have that promise mocked, attacked, and then to have the services undermined to be told that be no one there to answer if you call for help.
Did you speak up at a time when the President of the United States was launching trade wars against our most close allies when he was firing regulators who investigate America’s biggest banks and biggest corporations and stop them from taking advantage of the little guy or the little gal or my grandmother or your grandfather dismantling the agency that protects consumers from fraud that the only one whose sole purpose is to look out for them, did you just speak up when the President of the United States in a way that is so crass and craven peddled his own meme coin and made millions upon millions of dollars for his own bank account at a time so many are struggling economically.”
Yada, yada, yada. Seemed OK to me. Seems fairly eloquent, even at hour 24. Eyeballs got a little more bulgy than they normally bulge, but show me a better 25-hour speech by a Republican. Show me a better, albeit shorter, recent speech, post Trump 2.0 by a Republican.
He arose to belittle our country while still trying to be Spartacus Not gonna happen. Maybe you libturds can get a Cory bobblehead
Booker is just another AHOLE Dem. that has no idea what he is doing or maybe he is like some of his buddies and likes being a communist trouble maker.
So, Larry, what’s your point? Jealous!, On your best day in your entire life how close could you come to equal or best his time and his speech’s content?
You say Cory’s talk was a rant. HA HA Your railing at the left without anyone hearing you. That’s real ranting.