Over the past four years, Senate Republicans have made it almost impossible to pass any significant legislation unless it has a supermajority of 60 votes. That's because Senate rules allow them to filibuster a bill without even having to take to the floor, as was required in the past. In addition, they have routinely used the filibuster on procedural votes. The Senate can change these rules when it convenes in January.

During the final weeks and months of the 2012 Presidential election campaign many of us hung all of our hopes on the President being re-elected. Many of us worked toward that end; others of donated to the campaign as best we could, and all of us was elated and overjoyed at the victorious conclusion. But now that the election is won, the real work begins; for the President, and for us, his constituents and supporters. We must let him know that we, the masses, have his back! One Hundred and forty nine years ago this week on Thursday, November 19, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln, in a carefully crafted address reiterated the principles of human equality espoused by the Declaration of Independence by declaring that many lives were given at Gettysburg to ensure the survival of AMERICA'S REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY, THAT THE "GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, SHALL NOT PERISH FROM THE EARTH." Now it is seems necessary to keep the congress informed that we are very much aware of the nature of our government. That it is a government of “We, The People”! We must send a simple but strong message to the congress: CUT OUT THE BULL AND GET DOWN TO WORK! BE MORE COOPERATIVE WITH AND RESPECTFUL OF OUR PRESIDENT! Let me remind you that during the first four years of the Obama administration, the Congress, and in particular the right wing of the House of Representatives, displayed gross disrespect for and total non-cooperation with the President. According to Speaker Boehner, the Republicans in the House feel that the Presidential election did not represent a mandate for compromise and forward action on their part because at this time the makeup of the house is essentially unchanged. The makeup of the house was not changed because the bulk of the members of the House were not up for re-election this year. Now here's something for them to think about: "The 2014 United States House of Representatives and Senate elections will be held on November 4, 2014. Elections will be held for all 435 seats, representing the 50 U.S. states. Elections will also be held for the delegates from the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories." ANY OF THE REPRESENTATIVES THAT WANT TO BE AROUND BEYOND 2014 SHOULD BE SERIOUSLY RETHINKING BI-PARTISAN COOPERATION! THEY SHOULD TAKE THE PRESIDENT SERIOUSLY AND ACCURATELY REPRESENT THEIR CONSTITUENCY. The immediate goal for this petition is to obtain 100,000 signatures by December 10, 2012 and before Congress adjourns on December 14, 2012. As of this date we have only 11 signatures. In order to be effective we MUST HAVE AT LEAT 100,000 SIGNATURES. My ultimate goal is to secure 1,000,000 signatures but I desperately need your help. Please share this petition with all of your contacts online via Email, Facebook, Twitter and whatever other ways you can get it out. CAN WE GET TO 1,000,000 SIGNATURES? YES, WE CAN! Thank you for your help, Jacob. I found my information on Wikipedia and cfr.org.

I worked hard to get President Obama re-elected and I will be sick if he does some weak decision on the social network programs. Almost my entire lifetime has been fraught with trickle down economics and the middle class squeeze...not again ..listen to Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz.

I want to start a petition to tell the Republicans in the House and the Senate to stop their obstruction tactics like they have used against President Obama. They were elected to go to Congress and compromise with the President to get things done for the American people.

Citizens United should be overturned because it drowns out the voices of the common people. This is Supreme Court overreach on steroids!

Why is it that our elected Congressmen and women and Senators feel that they should sign a pledge to a non-elected leader of a lobbying group? Isn't it time they realized that their pledge is to do the people's business - NOT Grover Norquist's?

The playing field must be leveled in order for all candidates to have equal "opportunity" in national elections! The cap on candidate spending will stop the WEALTHY and SUPER PACS from "buying" the national elections.

Our national debt is mounting and we are all being asked to reduce our debt. Congress and Senate will never understand our struggles for healthcare and its costs as long as we pay for them to have free lifetime benefits after serving only five years. Therefore, one way to reduce spending and cut costs is to remove the "lifetime" free benefits that both the Senate and Congress get after serving a mere 5 years. It's not reasonable, no other jobs get benefits for healthcare or retirement years after they leave a job, nor do they get them for free.

In the next few weeks, our government--The President and Congress--must make decisions to head-off fiscal irresponsibility. Congress must act in good-faith with the President to "compromise" with action and not just lip service. If they cannot rise to the occasion to serve the needs of the people, they should give up their "seat" and paycheck and go home. They work for us and we want them to solve our problems--for everyone.

The War on Drugs should end NOW because: 1. It's ineffective 2. It's expensive 3. It's our government telling us to go to jail if we ingest a product that has a negative effect on our health. 4. If number 3 can be justified, we should bring back prohibition and outlaw sugar and cigarettes.

Even the founders believed in term limits as evidenced by George Washington's decision not to seek a third term. Historians suggest this was done in a bulwark against development of a monarchy in spite of his farewell speech's mention of age. Jefferson wrote that "if some termination to the services of the chief Magistrate be not fixed by the Constitution, or supplied by practice, his office, nominally four years, will in fact become for life." The founders realized that there was a risky temptation for the position to be manipulated into self-serving motives.

The Senate's Democratic majority can and should change the rules on the first day of the 113th Congress to ban filibusters for the duration of the 113th Congress. The Republicans have turned the Senate into a dysfunctional minority-ruled body by routine use of filibusters. A democracy cannot function under continued and arbitrary minority rule. The Democratic majority of the Senate needs to act to prevent another minority-ruled Senate session. The rule change should apply for only the 113th Congress. While conservatives are the traditional users of filibusters, progressives may find it necessary to use the filibuster in the future.