GETTING IT BACKWARDS: MEDIA MISCHARACTERIZES SENATE RESOLUTION VOTE. Yes, cloture is about cutting off debate, and that’s what the Democrats were trying.

As a commenter notes, filibusters were essential to democracy when they were used against a Republican majority, but now that Democrats are in the majority they’re back to being bad efforts to shut down debate. . . .

UPDATE: Reader Charlie Banks emails:

Regarding the filibuster of the Biden-Hagel and Levin-Warner resolutions:

One thing that I almost never read or hear is that all 49 of the Senate Republicans are maintaining the filibuster and keeping debate open. That includes Sens. Hagel and Warner, essentially aiding in the blocking of votes on their own resolutions.

It certainly says something about the vaunted “bipartisanship” of the resolutions when the Democrats manage to drive off even token Republican support when they move past the committee stage.

Yes, the Senate has become nearly as partisan as the press . . . .

ANOTHER UPDATE: A historical look at how the press has treated these issues depending on which party was in the majority.

MORE: Stephen Spruiell says look past the headlines.