Posted on 05/24/2005 8:19:54 AM PDT by Taft in '52
SPIN CITY & THE FILI-BLUSTER
Thanks to Republican "moderates," a "deal" has now been struck where the Democrats will be allowed to continue obstructing judicial nominees when they see fit and Republicans get...well, pretty much squat. They had the carpet pulled out from under them and woke up this morning with a big ol' egg covering their face, thanks to what the mainstream media considers to be the Magnificent Seven. Here's the roster:
- Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island
- Mike DeWine of Ohio Susan Collins of Maine
- Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
- John McCain of Arizona
- John W. Warner of Virginia
- Olympia J. Snowe of Maine
Did I mention Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island? More on him later.
As is to be expected, Republican leaders are in full "spin" mode, trying to tell conservatives that this huge loss on a matter of principle is actually a win; that this sow's ear is actually a silk purse. I can't remember the last time I had this much Suzy Sunshine blown up my skirt.
In the defenders estimation, Bill Frist has been a mensch. He stayed the course. He's a rock. Blah, blah, blah. He just couldn't get his whole team to row in the same direction. I'm not buying it.
I wonder what Steinbrenner would do with such a manager?
Here's the bottom line: For their part, the Democrats "agreed" to allow three previously-blocked nominees, but not all ten, to come to the floor for an up-or-down vote. Hello? Those three were already coming to the floor for a vote once the "nuclear option" had been deployed anyway. Some "concession" on the D's part, huh? For our part, we agreed to allow the Democrats to continue filibustering judges in the future. Lovely.
After hearing how the Democrats distorted the judicial and personal records of Owen and Brown over the last five days, you just know it will be a walk in the park for them to come up with "extraordinary circumstances" to block a future nominee. And by retaining the right to filibuster judges, you can pretty much kiss any hope that the president will risk nominating Justice Scalia to replace Chief Justice Rehnquist when he retires.
The Democrats bought time...and time is on their side. The longer this thing drags out, the less likely Republicans are to enforce the principle of every nominee getting an up-or-down vote. And the less likely that President Bush will appoint any more "Scalias." Get ready for a rash "Souters" coming down the pike.
I'm not excusing what the McCainiacs did here; but Bill Frist is the leader and he's been misplaying this issue from Day One. He should have used the power of his office to stop these filibusters two years ago. If he didn't have the 51 Republican votes, he should have told us who the weak-kneed Republicans were BACK THEN so we could have had a chance to deal with them directly from the grassroots level and at the ballot box. But Frist covered for these upstarts. And now they've cut his legs off from under him.
Frist was also in a position to stop Arlen Specter from gaining the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee last year and put someone there who actually AGREED with his plan to use the nuclear option to bust the filibusters. Instead, he "cut a deal" with Specter and handed him the gavel. In return, Specter helped hand Republicans a major and embarrassing defeat by encouraging and enabling this "compromise."
Bill Frist wants to be president. Bill Frist can kiss that dream goodbye. If he can't even handle running the Senate, what business does he have running the COUNTRY? "Trying" isn't good enough. There is no substitute for victory. Second place is like not even being there. Bill Frist needs to step down from his "leadership" position and turn running the Senate over to someone else, someone not afraid to crack the whip on his own troops from time to time.
This was a big one folks. This was important. And we were embarrassed by this "deal"...big time. Someone needs to answer for that.
One last question: Do those of you who say having RINO (Republican In Name Only) Lincoln Chafee on our team is better than having a Democrat in his seat still believe that? If so, you're hopeless. Boy, do I wish the Libertarians would put somebody half-credible up against him next year. That's one Republican race I'd LOVE to see "spoiled." Hey, hey, ho, ho...Lincoln Chafee's gotta go.
No. He never was a leader. He just occupies that office. He has no testicular fortitude. He's as much a sellout as McCain.
I'm ont a huge Frist fan, but there is a reason these people are called "mavericks"---if there are enough of them, they can ignore their party leaders almost regardless of what pressure is brought to bear.
If they are willing to pay any price, there is nothing a party leader can do to keep them in line if they don't have their own inner compass guiding them to support their party's big goals.
However, let's call them what they are: COCKROACH REPUBLICANS:
Lincoln Chaffee of Rhode Island
Mike DeWine of Ohio
Susan Collins of Maine
Lindsey Graham of South Carolina
John McCain of Arizona
John W. Warner of Virginia
Olympia J. Snowe of Maine
Well, there are a few things they can do if they wish:
RNC provides funds to Senators and Congressmen, directly and indirectly, assists in advertising, etc. Cut it. All of it. No money for ads, no assistance or resources of any sort.
Endorse anyone who opposes him in Primaries.
No Polling done for him. Tell thoe Pollsters you the RNC will cancel all polling with them if they take that renegade's business.
Demote any of them who are chairmen. Put someone of longer term on the committee and that person becomes chairman. Thus, their additional stipend is lost as well.
No photos with the President, First Lady, leadership, caucuses, etc.
No advertisements or endorsements from The President or the RNC.
Every Bill, every pet or pork-barrel project is deep sixed. Everything.
Don't take his calls, don't recognise him in any fashion. Make him Persona non Grata.
Open Ethics inquiries into his business, his books, and his PAC support.
I was initially just as pissed. Now I'm starting to feel a little better about this. Myers and Saad were expendable. It now makes the GOP look like the side that took the high road. We wont have to see this filibuster anytime soon. If we do, then the country will completely turn on the Senate Dems to our gain.
Libaralism is a mental disorder. And RINOs are certainly not immune to it!
"what the mainstream media considers to be the Magnificent Seven"
What a joke! The fictional Magnificent Seven saved a Mexican village from bandits by teaching the villagers how to fight for themselves. The so-called real Magnificent Seven Republicans would teach the villagers how to surrender.
Here's the solution to the problem-
Take any money you would have donated to the RNC and donate it to the primary opponents of the sickening seven.
And if any of the sickening seven manage to win the primary donate to their democrat opponents.
theDentist---
You're right there are things the leadership can do to try to keep people in line, but my point is NOT if said cockroaches are willing to "pay ANY price."
Lindsey Graham even said he knew he was going to p.o. his voters in S.C. and went ahead anyway.
If they don't even care what their own voters think, how is Frist going to knock some sense into them?
Harry ("the human turd") Reid didn't sign no steenkin agreement has has no limit on his obstructionist antics for the future.
The sleeper in this whole (not mentioned in this posting) is the gratuitous language of the tergiversates that the Administration should confer with the Judiciary Committee BEFORE nominations. That's like the old ABA approval. The scumbags will see this as the "extraordinary circumstances" necessary to launch a filibuster; "the White House didn't seek/get out approval in advance and we are, therefore, going to filibuster this non-communist."
Well, if they are willing to have all those happen to them, there is nothing short of death, and obviously that would not happen. So, Frist should do every one of those things I just mentioned. Beginning now.
See these folks sell out the Party because they know that Frist won't punish them other than a token slap on the wrist, and it'll be forgiven in 2 weeks.
So Frist has to grow some hairs and get some testicular fortitude and do ALL these things for the duration of their term.
I was watching Fox late last night when jubilent dems and republicans announced that a compromise had been reached.Both sides were patting each other on the back for a job well done.Nauseating is the only word(that comes close)to describing my feeling when i saw our ELECTED republican officials try to spin this farce(sell out)as some kind of a victory.When Sen.Byrd got on camera i turned the channel.Dems are probably still laughing.After GW's spineless stand on illegal immigration and criticism of the MinuteMan Project,I'm begining to get the feeling i've been conned.PS,Sorry for the negativity,but i had to get this off my chest.Still PO'd
"One last question: Do those of you who say having RINO (Republican In Name Only) Lincoln Chafee on our team is better than having a Democrat in his seat still believe that?"
I want to see these RINOS out of office too, but control of the senate counts for a lot. Guys like Chaffee are RINOS for a reason. If they were rock-ribbed conservatives they wouldnt' get elected in the north east.
I understand what your saying:"if they were rock-ribbed conservatives they wouldn't get elected in the northeast."If that's the case then when it comes right down to it,we don't have a majority in DC.Look at the stunt Voinovich pulled a couple wks ago.He didn't like Bolton,because he supposidly yelled at a co-worker a few years back?He was parroting the same lame rational that the dims were using.I didn't expect that from a republican.The bottom line is we cannot depend on these people when we need unity in the party.Right?
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