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Rush: "Moderate Senators Saved Themselves, Not the Senate"
Rush Limbaugh Show ^ | May 25, 2005 | Rush Limbaugh

Posted on 05/26/2005 8:56:21 AM PDT by Matchett-PI

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: The Wall Street Journal editorial is with us to do on this whole mess, and it mentions a point that we touched on yesterday. The title of their editorial: "A Remarkable Exercise In Political Self-Protection." They call this compromise a charade.

"This ballyhooed 'compromise' is all about saving the Senators themselves, not the Constitution. Its main point is to shield the group of 14 from the consequences of having to cast difficult, public votes in a filibuster showdown," and I think that's right on the money.

We're talking about moderates here, who are scared to death to state a position. Moderates are scared to death to take a position.

This is... Well, you know, I'm sure I've angered many of you people over the many years I've sat here behind the powerful EIB microphone but nothing is ever going to make me change my mind about moderates as long as they stay moderates, and "moderate" is defined as it is, as it currently is: You wait for consensus, you wait for majority, and then go that way so nobody doesn't like you, so that you don't make any enemies.

And in this case, they were just scared to death of the consequences of voting one way or the other and so they took the issue off the table so that they wouldn't have to cast votes on it.

"Meanwhile, the statesmen and women are able to postpone any real fighting over the filibuster until the inevitable Supreme Court nomination later this Congress.

We don't often agree with North Dakota Democrat Byron Dorgan, but he had it about right when he called the deal 'legislative castor oil. It averts the showdown vote tomorrow, but I doubt it's over.

"All in all, we can't recall a more cynical Senate performance since the phony impeachment trial of Bill Clinton." This is the Wall Street Journal writing this. "[I]t's cynicism squared in the case of the three nominees who will now finally be confirmed. Yesterday, 81 Senators voted to give Priscilla Owen a vote on the floor, after four years of Democratic filibusters.

Apparently she isn't such a grave 'extremist' threat after all. The same also applies to Janice Rogers Brown (22 months in the dock) and Bill Pryor (25 months).

Monday's deal exposes the long Democratic campaign against them as 'extremists' as nothing more than a political sop to People for the American Way and their ilk.

Henry Saad and William Myers aren't so fortunate. They'll be denied a vote because the Republican Seven had to give their Democratic co-signers some trophies to take back to their Senate caucus..."

"But there is a cynical irony here, too. To defeat a Supreme Court nominee, liberal interest groups will now be obliged to manufacture the very 'extraordinary circumstances' that would give Democrats among the Gang of 14 an excuse to filibuster. Thus they will have even greater incentive than before to dig through a nominee's personal and professional life for any mud they can throw against him. In the name of consensus and comity, in short, these 14 'moderates' have increased the chances that the Senate will witness a future, bloody Borking."

That's what I would respond too to Morton Kondracke. I love Kondracke. We love Kondracke here on this program, folks. We love Hagel. Have you heard what Hagel said about this? Hagel doesn't like this deal at all. Hagel thinks this deal is rotten because it doesn't guarantee all the nominees an up-or-down vote. Hagel said this. Yeah, we love Hagel on this program. I always have. We've had our disagreements with Hagel over the years but we love Hagel on this program. You know, we love Kondracke. I mean, how can you not like Kondracke? He wears glasses. You gotta respect that.

The fact of the matter is -- and he thought he had them. A lot of people thought he had a good point, that the bar for 'extraordinary circumstances' has now been raised so high.

But that's it. This deal gives the People for the American Way license to go out and mine even deeper into people's lives and come up with all these 'extraordinary circumstances,' because, remember, this also makes the point that I made yesterday which I think is a key point here, that they now going to go out -- it's not Harry Reid or Chuck Schumer, Leahy or any of the usual crowd that's going to be out there crowing that some nominee is extreme.

They're now going to get one of these sap moderates.

Can you imagine Mary Landrieu out there making the case that this person is too extreme or Daniel In-No-Way? These people are far less offensive looking and acting than the Senate Democrat leadership is. I mean, it's just going to make it tougher because the press.

Folks, you talk about an orgy? The media the orgy over moderates today is just... You can't describe it unless you see it for yourself and, of course, Broder is orgying, orgasming over McCain. It's hard to contain it here, folks. I want to go get a condom when I read the papers today. It was just an amazing sight to on behold.

And of course all these guys think they're moderates, these far left-wing libs think they are moderates. You know, they don't look at themselves as liberals. They are just who they are; they are what is normal. It's been an amazing experience to read the papers today.

So anyway the Journal says, "The fervent hope of these 14 is that President Bush will spare them from such controversy by nominating someone acceptable to the left -- say, another David Souter.

"Their agreement therefore warns Mr. Bush that he is obliged 'to consult with members of the Senate, both Democratic and Republican, prior to submitting a judicial nomination to the Senate for consideration.'"

The Journal says, "We hope he ignores them. Mr. Bush is under no obligation to reward Senators who have mistreated his nominees in this fashion. He owes far more to the supporters who helped him win re-election and his party pick up five Southern Senate seats last year.

To vet his nominees with this Gang of 14 is a virtual guarantee of judicial mediocrity -- of a lowest-common-denominator choice or a philosophic cipher. Especially in the wake of this deal, our advice is the same as it was after Election Day last year.

If Chief Justice William Rehnquist retires, promote Associate Justices Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas, and replace him with a distinguished conservative jurist such as Michael Luttig, Ted Olson, Michael McConnell, Sam Alito or for that matter Miguel Estrada.

The President is granted the power to nominate judges under the Constitution because he is the only official elected by the entire nation. He shouldn't cede that authority to 14 Senators in desperate search of political cover," which is exactly right.

You've gotta bunch of moderates. If you people out there love moderates, you've just seen them in action here on Monday, just doing everything they can to avoid coming down one way or the other on this issue. Just couldn't stomach that.

END TRANSCRIPT

Read the Article... (WSJ: The filibuster deal is a remarkable exercise in political self-protection) http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110006734


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: 109th; 7nitwits; dhpl; filibuster; graham; mccain; mcchamberlain; mccrook; ratsht; rinos; rush; senate; sevennitwits
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"I hold here in my hand, the paper signed by myself and six other nitwits with our friends the DemocRATS, that guarantees Peace in Our Time."

1 posted on 05/26/2005 8:56:21 AM PDT by Matchett-PI
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To: Matchett-PI

The Senate was not saved nor were the "Dirty 14". They are toast.


2 posted on 05/26/2005 8:57:41 AM PDT by RexBeach ("Anyone can see what's wrong, but can you see what's right?" -Winston Churchill)
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To: oldglory; MinuteGal; JulieRNR21; mcmuffin; gonzo; sheikdetailfeather; Web Offset; blackie

Click this link to access items mentioned below: http://www.rushlimbaugh.com

Unofficial Bull Moose: McCain vs. the GOP Base

McCain doesn't think he needs conservatives to win the nomination or the presidency...tscript,

• Nitwits Insist "We're Not Moderates"...story |
• Such a Deal! Reid: We'll Filibuster Judges story
• What's It Take to "Scorn" a Moderate? story

Bush Needs to Twist Some Arms in the Senate

LBJ would have whipped Voinovich, Lott and the rest into line on Bolton and pork. Oh, but he didn't have a "new tone!" tscript,

• Thomas or Scalia for Chief Justice? Thermal Nuke! tscript,

Rush 24/7: Scalia Rips Court for Imposing Personal Views

We Feel So Betrayed
The answer is more effort at the ballot box...tscript,

• Laugh: The Moderate Seven Parody [listen] http://www.rushlimbaugh.com


3 posted on 05/26/2005 8:59:55 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: RexBeach

You got THAT right. I'm just wating for the PACS to be formed against them. ~ BTTT


4 posted on 05/26/2005 9:01:31 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: Matchett-PI
Thank god it's lunch and there aren't that many people here to give me weird looks after the outburst of laughing...I think i just found some new wallpaper for my computer. (the rino & the Elephant)
5 posted on 05/26/2005 9:01:35 AM PDT by tfecw (Vote Democrat, It's easier than working)
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Listen today on line at one of these links:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com

http://www.wlsam.com/

http://www.wabcradio.com/listenlive.asp

http://www.kfi640.com/interactive/streaming.html


6 posted on 05/26/2005 9:04:38 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: Matchett-PI

Right on about the Rino-7, Rush!


7 posted on 05/26/2005 9:04:50 AM PDT by lilylangtree (Veni, Vidi, Vici)
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To: RushCrush

((((ping to #2))))


8 posted on 05/26/2005 9:17:12 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: b4its2late; Recovering_Democrat; Alissa; Pan_Yans Wife; LADY J; mathluv; browardchad; cardinal4; ...

9 posted on 05/26/2005 9:29:08 AM PDT by Born Conservative ("If not us, who? And if not now, when? - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Matchett-PI

10 posted on 05/26/2005 9:32:23 AM PDT by Born Conservative ("If not us, who? And if not now, when? - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Matchett-PI

Sad but true.


11 posted on 05/26/2005 9:50:16 AM PDT by cvq3842
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To: Matchett-PI

Too bad he put the face on the wrong end.

12 posted on 05/26/2005 9:50:30 AM PDT by austinite
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To: lilylangtree

Exactly.


13 posted on 05/26/2005 10:22:39 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: Born Conservative

Thanks!


14 posted on 05/26/2005 10:23:10 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: Born Conservative

Love it! LOL


15 posted on 05/26/2005 10:23:40 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: austinite
"Too bad he put the face on the wrong end."

It isn't possible to tell the difference, anyhow. LOL

16 posted on 05/26/2005 10:24:58 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: cvq3842

yep!


17 posted on 05/26/2005 10:25:22 AM PDT by Matchett-PI (Ignorance is curable but stupid is forever.)
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To: Matchett-PI
Yet another reason to dump the 17th Amendment.
18 posted on 05/26/2005 10:55:10 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (There are people in power who are truly evil.)
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To: Matchett-PI

BTTT


19 posted on 05/26/2005 11:02:45 AM PDT by Asphalt (Join the NFL ping list ... All thing football ... FReepmail Asphalt to get on or off)
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To: Matchett-PI

And this is what Graham was "saving himself" for: he wants to be McCain's running mate in 2008.

It bears repeating. I posted elsewhere that:

Q. Am I wrong or what, but wasn't Graham on the right side during the impeachment of x42? Maybe I'm mistaken..... If he was and my memory is correct, what happened to him?

A. What happened to him? He went out on a limb and endorsed McCain for prez in 2000.

At the same time, little ole Lindsey got bit in the butt by the Ambition Bug. Standing next to McCain, he got stars in his eyes. Inside that little brain of his (emphasis on little), he started dreaming that McCain was his ticket to the big-time.

IOW, Graham got the same sickness John Edwards got in 2004.

He sees himself as the young, charming and (in his mind) handsome Senator who becomes VP for a wildly popular President (mistaking MSM boot-licking for populist popularity), which then leads him straight into the WHITE HOUSE as the follow-on prez.

Hey, Lindsey: Pride goes before downfall.

And I am going to do everything I can do to ensure that you fall next time you're up for reelection. Your primary opponent is going to be the most well-funded person in history, if I have anything to say about it.


20 posted on 05/26/2005 11:04:37 AM PDT by wouldntbprudent ("Tell the truth. The Pajama People are watching you.")
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