Obstructionism

[1] Obstructionism or policy of obstruction denotes the deliberate interference with the progress of a legislation by various means such as the filibuster which consists of extending the debate upon a proposal in order to delay or completely prevent a vote on its passage.

John O'Connor Power, Joe Biggar,[3] Frank Hugh O'Donnell, and Charles Stewart Parnell,[3] Irish nationalists; all were famous for making long speeches in the British House of Commons.

[4] In a letter to Cardinal Cullen, 6 August 1877, The O'Donoghue, MP for County Kerry, denounced the obstruction policy: "It is Fenianism in a new form.

'[6] Sir Leslie Ward's "Spy" cartoon of John O'Connor Power appeared in Vanity Fair's "Men of the Day" series, 25 December 1886, and was captioned "the brains of Obstruction".

[8] In September 2010, Jon Stewart of The Daily Show announced the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear, an event dedicated to ending political obstructionism in American mass media.