STOP and think about this real hard before you jump off this cliff. In the future, the far far future I hope, when the dems get back in power the repubs will not be able to do what the dems are doing now. Not that the repubs would hold up QUALIFIED judges like the dems are doing, but if an unqualified judge was appointed by a dem leader then the repubs would have less options at hand to stop him/her from ascending to the bench for life.
If the Republicans cave on this then that's the surest way they will find themselves in the minority again in the near future.
Play to win, not to "not lose".
It is just as wrong for Republicans to filibuster to prevent an up-or-down vote on a DemonRat nominee. It should not be allowed, period. If they want to stop nominees, they better do what's necessary to maintain a majority.
The Republicans never did it before, nor would they as minority. Nor should we operate in the Senate considering our future minority status. Our thinking should be how to we best serve the people and our Constitution to remain in power.
It is unconstitutional to do what the Dems are doing, and I wouldn't support it with a Dem President.
OXEN, I've met you and I know you're a good conservative. If the shoe were reversed, the Dems would have all the MSM attacking the GOP for blocking nominees. And because the GOP is more of a gentelmanly party and because they tend to believe Presidents have the right to appoint judges, our side would fold MUCH easier than they are doing right now.
The courts right now are a once in a lifetime opportunity. Go for it Frist!
seems to me the idea is to take the ground we have NOW, hold it and advance up the hill - then we won't have to worry to much about what the dims might do - because it will REALLY be way off in the future.
Usually, if you poke a bully in the nose - he wont bother you again...otherwise, he'll be in your face forever.
We shouldn't lay down and roll over today because somewhere in the distant future, they might have the upper hand...
They already did this, some years back.
With all due respect, the only flaw in your argument (IMHO) is that the Dems have already used the so-called Nuclear Option to change existing Senate rules. It was in the fairly recent past (when KKK Byrd was Leader) and without a doubt they will use it again to suit their needs when they again take the majority (which is inevitable).
In fact, their reason for using said option back then was the exact condition that exists today. The republican minority was clogging up things with a threat of filibuster. So the Dems changed the rules.
(another poster has a link to filibuster history and the dems use of the rules)