I am so sick of the Republicans threatening to change Senate rules to disallow filibustering. Or really, I’m so sick of Democrats being afraid of them.

Just filibuster already! If the Republicans throw out filibustering in response (the so-called nuclear option), more’s the pity, but two things:

1. If Dems never filibuster because they are cowering in fear of the threat, they’ve already lost the ability to filibuster. The terrorists will have already won! In fact, it means that only Republicans can filibuster, a worse position than no filibusters at all.
2. The Senate majority has always had the ability to ban filibusters, but they’ve never done it. There must be reasons, like oh, the shear audacity of destroying a democratic tradition purely for short-term partisan benefits. If they do it now, surely there will be some backlash. I suspect banning filibusters is easier said than done.

Democrats, don’t let the majority threaten away one of the few tricks left in your bag. Use it or lose it. And if you both use it and lose it, at least you went down fighting.