BREAKINH!!-- FRIST TELLS REID TO POUND SAND -- FILIBUSTER NEGOTIATIONS HALTED!!

Reuters ^ | 05-16-05 | cww

[woofie]

I cant wait for Cheney to cast his vote in the Senate

[processing please hold]

And suddenly, Trent Lott jumps up on the Majority Leader's table in a bouncy squat and with a simeon howl throws a bleached wildebeast bone into the gallery...

Ahhhhh, the visual I got from that.

[CWW]

If Frist was going to fold, he would have taken the offer to approve 5 of the 7 appeals court nominations and the offer not to filibuster any Supreme Court nominees.

[Petronski]

If it happens, it will be a very enjoyable week.

Frist will not turn the launch key unless he's certain.

If he goes, it will be a potentially dangerous schadenfreudische explosion!

[Ladysmith]

Ooh! Get the housework done and crockpot going! Can't miss this one!

[nopardons]

Frist is a lousy candidate for '08. He is not, not, NOT presidential timber.

[wmfights]

And so it begins. Now we will find out where everyone stands and who needs to be defeated in the primaries.

[Stellar Dendrite]

Thanks, just did :)

[deport]

Nuke talks go nowhere

Frist plans to begin a debate on a judicial nomination after the Senate acts on the highway bill, either today or Wednesday. If that nomination is delayed, under the latest scenario outlined by GOP aides, Frist eventually will raise a point of order that the Senate should debate the nomination of an appeals-court nomination for a certain number of hours. Vice President Dick Cheney, who would be in the chair, would rule in favor. Democrats would appeal, and the Senate would vote on tabling that appeal.

Even as leaders approached the brink, senators have pushed a number of last-minute efforts to find a way to stop the filibuster short of that action. “I think it’s all still being discussed,” said McConnell.

As described by one Senate GOP aide Friday, one option includes changing the Senate’s standing orders, which have virtually the same effect of rules. Another possibility would be to work out an agreement by unanimous consent, or even to pass a law. Leaders could also simply reach a “formal understanding.”

Or the Senate simply could invoke cloture to cut off debate on nominations. But by far the most likely option remains the so-called “nuclear option,” which could throw the Senate into an uproar, Democrats have warned at times.

Another GOP aide said that if Democrats were to offer to allow votes on all seven stalled nominations, Republicans would give up their plans to effect a constitutional option. But Democrats do not appear willing to go that far.

[Stellar Dendrite]

LOL :)

[BobL]

"This is too good to be true."

It is. The Dems won't let us change the rules. They'll simply NOT filibuster these judges. They need to keep the option open for the Supreme Court.

Of course we (the Republicans) could then filibuster the judges, and then give ourselves the ruling that says a filibuster is not allowed for judges - leaving the Dems completely perplexed, and without their weapon. But are we smart enough (and disciplined enough) to do that? I doubt it.

[Incorrigible]

OMG!!!! Did you really send that? LOL!!

[Stellar Dendrite]

He will never see it though..I bet he gets millions of email each day.

[SquirrelKing]

BREAKINH!!

[The Spirit Of Allegiance]

"Crushing by GOP Elephant"

Execution by elephant....

[nopardons]

Yep, that is going to be quite a thing to behold. I can't wait for this to happen. :-)

[Stellar Dendrite]

Hahah...no I just created it as a joke w/ photoshop. It would be cool to send though...

[Radix]

Funny!

[nopardons]

No kidding...LOL

[JesseJane]

Mee tooo..

Can you just hear the screams from DC now.. the swinging from the rafters, jumping from tall buildings??

YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!

It is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay past time, but I fear by morning, there will be a deal, but Harry Reid has to wear a garter belt, fishnet stockings and stiletto's to the Senate for the rest of the year.