Posted on 04/27/2005 8:37:54 AM PDT by Paloma_55
The Republican leaders in the Senate do not have to make the false choice between endless toleration of Democratic filibusters that enfeeble their majority and the so-called “nuclear option” — a ruling that filibusters of judicial nominations are unconstitutional — which will set off partisan wrangling for the balance of the Bush tenure.
It is absurd to try to tell the American people why filibusters of judicial nominations violate the Constitution while those of presidential nonjudicial appointments and of regular legislation do not. The American people are going to see the denial of the right of unlimited debate as the equivalent of FDR’s court-packing plan, which doomed the second term of his presidency to utter failure (he had a pretty good third term, winning the war).
The better way to proceed is to make the filibuster radioactive politically by letting the Democrats talk themselves to death. Give them enough rope and they will hang themselves by their vocal cords.
(Excerpt) Read more at hillnews.com ...
I have to agree with you completely. As was said on another thread, "The GOP needs to find its spine".
This is absolutely freaking brilliant, right down to the choice of Pickering as the test case. He is already on the bench by a recess appointment, and so far he has not overturned the Constitution or reinstituted slavery in Mississippi. The democrats will look totally ridiculous for effectively shutting down the legislative branch over his appointment. The Senate rules that DO need to be changed are those that allow the "virtual filibuster." There hasn't been a real filibuster since C-SPAN hit the airwaves. Force the minority to actually debate the bill or nomination for hours while other pressing issues are ignored. If the bill or nomination is important enough, the people will support the filibuster. If it isn't, they won't.
A real filibuster would be difficult to do thanks to Senate rules, calendar days etc.
Change all that, and it could work.
Morris is right on the money. The problem is that none of the Senators R or D will accept having to work longer hours.
This is the sort of tacticle approach the Republicans should use. Make 'em have a real filibuster. The gentlemens' agreement to pretend there is a filibuster with out requiring the minority to actually talk continuously is a key cause of the problem.
Since the loss of only a couple of percent of minority voters would crush Democrat candidates chances of winning office. The Dems are terrified of publically having to speak out in opposition of minority nominees.
It takes 51 votes to get rid of the filibuster, just do it. Then we can get our conservative judges appointed. Stop trying to take the gutless way out. We have the votes, use them. This should be old news by now.
I think the filibuster has its appropriate place but it also needs to be done correctly.
I remember as a kid, my brother and I like to chase each other around a hallway in our house. Our parents were always getting on to us. One day, caught in the act, Dad MADE us do laps around that same hallway. When we'd slow down, he'd say..."Keep running!" It got old and wasn't fun anymore. LOL
Really?..And do you think that for a moment, the coverage of said filibuster outside of this FOrum and Fox News would be anything short of messianic.
ABCCBSNBCCNNPMSNBCNYTimesWaPo, would portray the dissenting Democrats in such a glorious light that it would like they were fighting the Civil Rights battles all over agin, of course it would also fail to mention that the Dems were against Civil Rights in the first place.
Hypocrisy only chokes SOME republicans, but to Democrats its an appetizer that surpasses Caviar in its elegance.
Robert Byrd thundering on about Civil Rights and the Republicans rolling them back...24/7, Wall to Wall coverage.
Picture that.
Excellent application.
Rush made the same suggestion several years ago. I don't know if he's made it lately.
I see no need to force a 24/7 filibuster. Just require them to tie up the Senate during normal business hours. Let the filibustering Senators go home, get a good nights' sleep, and restart in the morning.
The thing that kills a filibuster is the political cost of bringing Congress to a screeching halt. We can just as easily get that if the Dems drone on for 10 hours a day than if they do it for 24.
Bingo, Dick, bingo.
If the democRATs want a filibuster, let 'em! The senate president can and should enforce attendance of the entire senate while it is going on, too. Can you imagine how ugly ol' Kennedy and dingy Harry Reid will look after a couple of days without sleep?
Plenty good for 'em!
Yeah, I understand that this is harder on the Majority than Minority but so what. There is more mileage as I see it from my perch in a red state with 2 Dems (Lincoln & Pryor). It just seems to me that the Republicans could do something to get more mileage out of the Democrats religious profiling.
And unless I am mistaken, the problem would be for us: i.e., we'd have to keep at least 51 senators ON the floor at all times and they'd only have to have one there doing the talking for them.
Am I wrong about that?
The "so-what" makes it easier for Dems to win. You get just a couple of Republicans sick or needing to go somewhere, and you lose the quorum. Huge lift for the Dems.
Must better just to let them hang themselves a little bit more each day.
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