Speech Defect
May 27, 2005
For millions of Americans, the final word on the filibuster is Frank Capra s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. The 1939 film depicts 24 hours of uninterrupted oratory by a heroic junior Senator, who ultimately succeeds in defeating a corrupt political machine. But Slate senior writer Tim Noah tells Brooke that Mr. Smith embodies not only an outdated portrayal of the filibuster, but perhaps the biggest obstacle to eliminating the legislative maneuver altogether.
