Can Washington Pols see more then 5 minutes ahead?

Yesterday the US senate voted to remove the 60 vote barrier required on Presidential nominees. Essentially saying they did not want or need any support from the other party. 

This is pretty much the same thing they did with ACA (Obamacare).  Toss the rules out so the simple majority can get their way.  

For more almost 225 years, the Senate has been the moderating force in our government ensuring that everyone pretty much has a say in how things got done and further ensuring that we did not have majority mob rule. 

What is striking is that this is not the first time the Senate has considered this action in the face of a small few who felt the need to hold up a nomination.  The irony is that there is a plethora of video out there with nearly every single democrat senator objecting the Republicans doing this same thing only about 10 years ago.  

To say the legislative environment is "bitter" is a gross understatement.  What is at stake is power because we citizens have seen fit to hand it over.  We let Washington dictate to our schools what to teach, what to serve at lunch, how much districts can spend... We let them dictate all sort of things to our states on the environment, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, employment rules. In short, we have a new nanny and it is the Federal Government.  And that role for politicians is a powerful and addictive intoxicant; unfortunately one that is not regulated.  The nature of the intoxicant causes a complete lack of ability to consider consequences beyond a few minutes.

When democrats voted to make simple majority the rule of the day, did they consider the political landscape with the crash and burn of the ACA?  They will almost certainly allow Republicans to keep the house and have put enough seats in play in the Senate that Republicans could very well have both houses in a little over a year?  Does that precedent mean nothing?  How can democrats defend their certain objection when Republican invoke the "nuclear option" once they are back in power?

If the ACA continues on the path of utter decimation of the average persons healthcare, the presidency will also very likely move to the right.  How will the precedent work then?  If Republicans have the house, senate and the presidency, and no filibuster protection for the left in the senate, it is a fair bet that everything the left has fought for over the last 50 years could disappear in a matter of weeks or months.  I am in favor of this - so don be confused.  My point is that it could never happen except that senate democrats have knocked down the trees and started paving the road in this direction.  Their myopic vision will empower the right and have the exact opposite effect on the countries direction that they want.  The right could not have mapped out and executed a better plan.