The filibuster at Frist Campus Center continued into its eighth day yesterday, as the taping of a lengthy segment on MSNBC's "Hardball with Chris Matthews" drew hundreds of students to the event and brought out the first organized counter-protest since the rally began.
Chanting "FIL-i-BUS-ter" and holding signs reading "Support minority rights," crowds of students came to defend the filibuster and protest a push by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist '74 to change Senate rules to make it more difficult for Democrats to block judicial nominees.
A smaller group of students, carrying a cardboard cutout of President Bush and signs reading "Majority rules" and "Yea or nay without delay," showed up to support Frist — whose family contributed $25 million to the campus center — and oppose the filibuster.
"It's slightly disrespectful that Frist gave $25 million and we come and crap on his doorstep," former College Republicans president Evan Baehr '05 said. "This is a political stunt. It's great to heighten awareness of these issues, but not when you confuse people because of false premises."
Meanwhile, camera crews from "Hardball" came to televise the event, and Chuck Pennacchio, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, became the latest addition to the roster of politicians who have come to speak.
Braving the weather under a multicolored umbrella, hundreds of student activists have spoken out for more than 175 straight hours against Frist's proposed rule change, which would allow a simple majority of 51 senators to end debate on judicial nominees, rather than the 60 currently needed.
The filibuster is the only method to avoid "power-mongering" in the Senate, said Pennacchio, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia who took questions for almost an hour.
"Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely," he said. "I'm fighting for a principle here — the right to dissent."
After Pennachio's speech, Chris Matthews interviewed filibuster organizer Asheesh Siddique '07 and College Republicans member Rob Biederman '08 over satellite uplink, showing hundreds of thousands of national viewers a scene of chanting students waving signs.
"It's great for publicity," Siddique said after the interview. "I think we got our point across. It will be good for the filibuster, and it shows that Princeton is active."
Though the filibuster has garnered unusual publicity, Baehr said it "should not be mistaken as the first real instance of political activism."
"People often talk about apathy at Princeton, but we're not apathetic," he said. "We just channel our passions in constructive ways. There are much more constructive ways than this filibuster."
Earlier in the afternoon, Senator Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), who is traveling this week in Darfur, sent a press secretary to read a statement supporting the filibuster.
"Thank you for continuing to draw attention to this fight," the statement read. "I applaud your civic mindedness and strong belief in the ideals of America."
Congressmen Rush Holt (D-N.J.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) have already spoken at the event, as well as Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek GS '75. In addition to "Hardball," the filibuster has been featured in the Washington Post, CNN, the AP wire, the Thom Hartmann radio show and on dozens of liberal blogs.
Speakers have been lined up through May 6, filibuster organizers said, adding that they have not made plans to end the event soon. English professor Jeff Nunokawa is scheduled to speak this morning.
Related sites:
— Filibuster First (Princeton student group's Web site) — "Hardball" segment video (From Dem Bloggers)Read More
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