The New House of Lords

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/11/keep-the-filibuster-say-d_n_166074.html

I understand that the filibuster has been used for good and for ill, but what Barbara Boxer and others ignore, is that the threat of filibuster has crippled Democratic legislative efforts. In other words, when Republicans were in power it was considered obstructionist/non patriotic to threat to block any legislation, but when Democrats are in power they need 60 votes to pass any legislation. This not only creates the soggy middle, but the thought that the Senate, wields so much power is truly terrifying. It is a very undemocratic body, given that some Senators represent states that have tiny populations, and this institution seems to be a most insular and out of touch group. Remember, this is the place where Strom Thurmond the Racist, Jim Bunning the Lunatic and David the Diaper Vitter have been consistently re-elected. Why don't we turn them into an institution like the House of Lords, where they can pontificate for hours, but basically have little power?