Republicans Filibuster Democrats’ Lunch Plans

Washington – In the middle of intense debate Thursday over the proposed economic stimulus bill, Senate Democrats were shocked when Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina led a filibuster of their proposal to attend T.G.I. Friday’s for lunch. The Senate remains in session, with the filibuster continuing.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina acts out a portion of Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, which he read from while filibustering a Democratic plan for lunch proposed by Senator Barbara Boxer.

The filibuster began shortly after 1:00 PM EST. Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, suggested halting the debate over the stimulus package so that the senators could break for lunch. She proposed attending a nearby T.G.I. Friday’s as a group, to build solidarity. But when Senator Boxer put the proposal up for a vote, Senator Graham took the floor to suggest that the group attend Chili’s for lunch instead of T.G.I. Friday’s. “It is not Friday yet,” Graham said, “and I see no reason to delude ourselves into thinking it is by attending a restaurant with such a name.”

Boxer rejected the Chili’s alternative, and called once again for a vote on her original proposal. That is when Senator Graham retook the floor, book in hand, and began his filibuster. Graham approached the podium and said, “I ask the gentle lady from California to yield while I read aloud the entirety of Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand, a work of fiction which I find to be particularly applicable to these current times.” And with that, the senator began reading the famous book, while Boxer and her Democratic colleagues stared with mouths agape.

Senator Boxer did attempt to protest at one point, asking Senator Graham if he would yield so they could come to a compromise around a third choice for where to eat lunch. But Graham did not respond to the question, except to ask, “Who is John Galt?”

Many hours later, a C-SPAN 2 broadcast of the Senate session showed Senator Graham continuing to read the book aloud. Several Senators were visibly weakened and possibly dehydrated. Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts was shown eating his tie at one point, while Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, was fast asleep. No one seemed to notice.