Sawt Falasteen - US senator smashes record with marathon anti-Trump speech

Senator Cory Booker's display of endurance -- to hold the floor he had to remain standing and could not even go to the bathroom -- recalled the famous scene in Frank Capra's 1939 film classic "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington."

The longest Senate speech on record before Tuesday was delivered by South Carolina's Strom Thurmond, who filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

Booker, only the fourth Black senator to be popularly elected to the body, blew past that deadline Tuesday, his voice still strong but emotional as he topped out at 25 hours and five minutes.

"This is a moral moment. It's not left or right. It's right or wrong," he said as he wrapped up before finally pronouncing "Madam President, I yield the floor."

The 55-year-old New Jersey native had found a moment for some humor as he passed the record, joking: "I want to go a little bit past this and then I'm going to deal with some of the biological urgencies I'm feeling."

Although Booker's talk-a-thon was not actually blocking the majority Republican Party from holding votes in the Senate, as would be the case in a true filibuster, his defiance quickly became a rallying point for beleaguered Democrats.

Booker, a former presidential candidate, seized command in the chamber at 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) Monday and finished at 8:05 pm Tuesday.

He lashed out at Trump's radical cost-cutting policies that have seen his top advisor Elon Musk, the world's richest person, slash entire government programs without consent from Congress.

The senator said Trump's aggressive seizing of ever-more executive power had put US democracy at risk.

"Unnecessary hardships are being borne by Americans of all backgrounds. And institutions which are special in America, which are precious and which are unique in our country, are being recklessly -- and I would say even unconstitutionally -- affected, attacked, even shattered," Booker said.

"In just 71 days the president of the United States has inflicted so much harm on Americans' safety, financial stability, the core foundations of our democracy," he said.

But he had words of encouragement for Trump opponents, saying as he concluded that "the power of the people is greater than the people in power."

- Democrats struggle -

Democratic lawmakers, in the minority in both the Senate and House of Representatives, have struggled over how to blunt Trump's efforts to downsize government, ramp up deportations and shred much of the country's political norms.

"I just want to thank you for holding vigil for this country all night," Senator Raphael Warnock told Booker on the floor.

Booker dedicated much of his speech to criticizing Trump's policies, but to pass the time he also recited poetry, discussed sports and entertained questions from colleagues.

"If you love your neighbor, if you love this country, show your love. Stop them from doing what they're trying to (do)," he said.

Because Booker's obstruction did not occur during voting on any bill it was not technically a filibuster. But this marks the first time during Trump's term that Democrats have deliberately gummed up Senate business.

N.Shalabi--SF-PST