“There are men, in all ages, who mean to exercise power usefully, but who mean to exercise it. They mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be kind masters, but they mean to be masters.” This is the wisdom of Daniel Webster, who served in both the Senate and House of Representatives and as secretary of state under three presidents. Today, 174 years later, Senate Democrats are demonstrating just what Webster meant.

Just look at the record. On Jan. 5, 1995, the Senate voted 76-19 to table a proposal by Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin to eliminate the filibuster after three attempts to end debate on a bill. Current senators, including Democrats Dianne Feinstein of California and Patty Murray of Washington, as well as then-Sen. Joe Biden, voted to table it.