My pal Jonathan Schwartz comes up with a gem of a quote from James Madison, as he explains why the House of Lords (The Senate) was created in the first place.

And James Madison explaining more than 200 years ago why the Senate would naturally represent the interests of rich people:

Should experience or public opinion require an equal & universal suffrage for each branch of the Govt., such as prevails generally in the U. S., a resource favorable to the rights of landed & other property, when its possessors become the minority, may be found in an enlargement of the election districts for one branch of the legislature, and an extension of its period of service. Large districts are manifestly favorable to the election of persons of general respectability, and of probable attachment to the rights of property, over competitors depending on the personal solicitations practicable on a contracted theatre. And although an ambitious candidate, of personal distinction, might occasionally recommend himself to popular choice by espousing a popular though unjust object, it might rarely happen to many districts at the same time. The tendency of a longer period of service would be, to render the body more stable in its policy, and more capable of stemming popular currents taking a wrong direction, till reason & justice could regain their ascendancy.

Say what you want about the founding fathers, you can't claim they weren't up front about what they were doing.

So you see why the Senate acts entirely against the interests of ordinary America.

And Digby is pissed at this one:

This is unbelievable. Apparently the Democrats not only can't break a filibuster on the new school loan bill, they may not even have 50 votes. What is going on here?...read on