Senate's 'Gang of 14' Fractures Over Alito

AP ^ | 11/2/5 | JESSE J. HOLLAND

[Sonny M]

Lindsay Graham is finally regrowing the set he had during the Xlinton impeachment. I'm sure McStain will wait until the very last minute to announce his position so he can attract as much attention to himself as possible.

Something to think about.

Graham and DeWine, 2 "rinos" by doing that gang of 14 deal, gave themselves veto power over when the dems can and can't use the filibuster.

I.E. 2 republicans, not harry reid, not chuck schumer, not Hillary, get to decide if the democratic party will even be allowed to filibuster.

I thought the whole gang of 14 deal was stupid, I still do, and it was wrong, but right now, I do find it be a source of amusement.

[hsalaw]

Graham and DeWine must be facing reelection.

[Randy Larsen]

Would anyone on the pro-Miers side be willing to 'fess up and admit that they were wrong?

I was wwrrr...,I was wwrrro..., I was Wwwwrrr..., oh hell, I WAS WRONG!

I feel so much better now, how 'bout you?

[shrinkermd]

The RAT nuclear option isn't the filibuster per se, but rather choosing who and what to run against. The nominee is credentialed and hard to dislike; hence, run against the "right wing" of the Pubbies.

Adds serving up Republican hypocrisy in deep sixing Miers without even a hearing while claiming it is only fair that this nominee get an up or down vote seem destined to occur.

If there is any real opposition to this nominee, it will require going to the voters to give the Senators cover for either voting him down or, more likely, using the filibuster. But the latter cannot occur without broad public support.

I hope we are ready. I note one of our supporters is already running adds of a pleasant type.

[LS]

I already did so ("She Has Spoken. . . And I Was Wrong"). I'm not surprised that the GOP is closing ranks. I am surprised that the Dems weren't more emboldened by their "victory," although they apparently are trying the same tactic on Alito, by floating stories about how he really "isn't conservative" or voted "three out of four times" for Roe. But this guy has "gravitas," and they won't be able to say he isn't competent, heck, spectacular.

[LS]

How would you like to have a reality show in which there was

. . . one island . . . .

. . . one camera . . . .

and senators McLame and Schumer!!!?

[Cold Heat]

I agree with what you said about Graham, and I will add this.......

A reasoned approach will get you labeled a dirty word in some right wing circles. They will call you a moderate. A RINO, CINO, traitor.

While there are certainly a few republicans from liberalized districts who sometime deserve the term, Graham does not.

I heard Krystol chastising Frist's response today as silly.

I don't know what planet he is from, but it is not mine.

We have done enough to damage the party by looking more like democrats everyday. The more we do it, the more the public will see absolutely no difference between us and them.

Graham is one of the more solid repubs in the caucus, and he has my support, most of the time. We need to peel off some dems to make this confirmation fight and the ones to come a easier task. This is the perfect time to get some disaffected Dems to split with their caucus and gain a firm control of the Senate for most of the big issues.

If we look like pompous asses, they won't be able to tell the difference between us and them in 06, and 08. We have already spent our political capital account, and some of that needs to be paid back.

[Petronski]

I doubt Nelson (NE) or Lieberman will be going along with a filibuster either.

[Petronski]

[PatriotGirl827]

I like that post. :-)

[PhiKapMom]

You can add Dem Ben Nelson of Nebraska who was part of this group to the list of people that will not support a filibuster according to an article this morning. That leaves them down to 11! :)

[Cold Heat]

Would anyone on the pro-Miers side be willing to 'fess up and admit that they were wrong?

Short answer.......NO!

My beef was that Miers was not allowed Senate due process....."the up or down vote".

Now that argument that was so effective before, will be damned hard to make with a straight face and sure to draw criticism...this time it would be legitimate for a change.

No, I won't be changing my mind, and Alito would have been coming up anyway.

I was a stupid thing to do and helped turn the Senate into the peoples house for the foreseeable future, which is not a good thing for at least a dozen reasons that I could address.

[Petronski]

My beef was that Miers was not allowed Senate due process..

BS. She withdrew.

[MikefromOhio]

My beef was that Miers was not allowed Senate due process....."the up or down vote".

Except Miers withdrew. She never got an up or down vote because she left the process before it could happen.

[PatriotGirl827]

LOL!!! I haven't seen that one before.

[JesseJane]

Let me disabuse you of your fantasy about mine. Don't assume my motives. My opinion is my own. If it does not match with yours, I suspect you might want to work on the perception Graham has set upon himself. His actions, are to blame, not my opinion for the mess the Gang of 7, a surprise to Frist, created. To be so arrogant as to take the position that 14 would choose our justices.. is an insult to the American process and our rights as individuals in the electorate that put them in office to uphold our voices.

Now.. you have some work to do. How's this, If I said I have a list of 10 things I will allow you to think about, would that be okay with you? ROFL..................

[CFC__VRWC]

This just proves the left is in full panic mode - they're sitting back helplessly watching the silo doors for the nuclear missile opening up. It's amazing that the Senate Dims are already admitting that they don't have the means to stop it, and their putting this set of points on the fax for their AP stenographers just proves how bankrupt they are.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Sure. Just kiddin'.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

Many if not most of the Miers folks said that W had to pick Harriet because an Alito or Luttig would be filibustered and the Pubbies in the Gang would not be willing to go nuclear. If you took that position, would you be willing to say that was wrong.

[Alberta's Child]

Gang of Fourteen ping.