You are misreading the political dynamics of the situation. It is the Democrats who are between a rock and a hard place. Every time a judicial nomination comes to the Senate floor, the Democrats have to worry that Frist might push the "nuclear" button if they choose to filibuster. And yet if they avoid filibustering, their core special-interest groups will scream bloody murder and accuse them of being spineless wimps.
Every time a nomination comes up, the Democratic Senators will have to try to calculate whether that person is so "extreme" (and can be depicted to the general public as so extreme) as to make it worth the risk of a filibuster which could result in the elimination of all future filibusters. I suspect that a lot of hard-core leftists will have trouble grappling with such nuances.
And every time that Democrats allow a conservative judge to slip through, they'll appear weaker and less unified. The perception will grow that Frist really does have the votes for the nuclear option. And in politics, perception is 90% of reality.
Yeah, sure, I bet those Senate Dems are just worried sick. LOL.
Senate Republicans = spineless.
Agreed. The same is true of our base.
I'll trust Frist and the President on this one.
very good point
"I suspect that a lot of hard-core leftists will have trouble grappling with such nuances."
you are exactly right. Last year a lot of hard core conservatives on this very site had trouble understanding how the nuances worked against us last year. now the ball's in their court. Heads we win, tails, they lose!
game, set, match W!
Your points are well taken. There may be an upside to holding the nuclear option in reserve. But sooner or later, we should do it anyway.
Well said and oh SO true!