Posted on 05/24/2005 5:56:28 AM PDT by for-q-clinton
Now that the RINOs have sold out the majority, what can Bill Frist do to try and get an up or down vote on all nominees? It's simple...require the RATs and RINOs to filibuster. Let the people see the minority tying up the Senate with a REAL filibuster. And just let it go and go and go. Take away everyone's summer break have nothing get done until the votes are taken.
Then the President can take to the bully pulpit and berate the RINOs and RATs for shutting down our government because they won't allow an up or down vote for judges.
Shutting down the government is ALWAYS the fault of the extreme right-wing extremists Republicans who want to install a theocracy.
No. True fillibusters no longer exist, due to rules changes by the Democrats when they had the majority. They are not 24/7 nonstop droning sessions. Now, filibusters are these virtual, weakened things that do not really have the potential to cause the PR damage you are hoping for.
There are lots of things that might still work including the Constitutional Option and recess appointments. So many people are throwing in the towel when these battles are a long ways from being over.
I suggest that you do a little research and find out just what is required of the majority and the minority in a real filibuster.
If it's no longer a 24x7 requirement, then why was Frist bringing in cots to sleep in?
All this deal did was move the calendar forward a few months for the next showdown. It won't take long for the agreement to be broken by Democrats when they object to the next Bush nominee as being to radical.
Let's just remember the ineffective and ungodly naive Senator McCain (remember Campaign Finance Reform?) next election.
McCain's problem is he wants to be liked by everybody, including the Democrats. He cannot stand walking down Senate halls and not having everybody smile or give him a greeting so he sells out.
You are right and shutting down the government will screw us in the end. The American people may not be following this now (only 14% in the polling) but if the Repubs shut down the government they will notice and we will get the blame. We will see a backlash in 2008 and we need to win.
The solution is for the President to diplomatically take the "moderates" to the woodshed. He can further accomplish this by giving all blocked judges recess appointments. Moreover, he should continue to send conservative nominess to the hill. Make the dems filibuster them and make the "moderates" look like the fools they are.
Well if you know...why not share it with us? I've heard several different things and am not sure which is true. I know the majority has a bit tougher time of it because they need to keep one more person there than the minority has. But I'm not 100% sure of how the filibuster has changed (as lamantaz has stated).
No because the Senate rules were changed a number of years ago so that a real fillibuster is no longer required, just the threat of one. The way the rules are written now, it would only be the Republicans that would be forced to stay up all night in an effort to cut off debate. The debates just have to bring in a replacement speaker every few hours to give the current speaker a break. One or two Dems could force 55 Pubbies to sleep on cots in the Senate chamber for the duration. Besides that, a real fillibuster makes good TV for as long as most Americans are going to pay attention to it. So will this work, I doubt it.
For show? I don't know. I can't tell what goes on in that spineless loser's mind.
But I'm sure I've read it's not 24x7.
Relax... after some careful thought about this, it is probably for the best. Bush gets quite a few nominees through, and the filibuster option is around for when Republicans are in the minority again. It's a win-tie situation.
Did they make this change right before they lost power?
I agree. If Dems threaten to fillibuster Supreme Court appointment, Bush should threaten to give recess appointment to Robert Bork and make similar in your face appointments until Dems relent. Only problem there is if we lose Presidency in 2008, then Dem would get to replace the recess appointed judges.
No, I think it was more than a decade or two ago. I wasnt really paying attention.
Better solution: Take the rats and rinos out to the barn and shoot 'em.
OK, um guess we can't really do that... So what do we do with spoiled crybaby brats.. Just say NO! YOUR NOT GETTING YOUR WAY.. and then do what you must, go Nuclear.
I'm not a Dem, I don't rally around LOSERS!
Oh, there's a solution, but it has more to do with lamposts and rope than filibusters.
With aid from the constituents of the RINOs and the rest of us, Frist can restore the original filibuster and additionally make the instigator of a filibuster remain on the Senate floor for the duration of it. Institute a rule requiring continuous speech with no pause of more than three minutes duration, disallowing the yielding of the floor to members of one's own party, and no points of order during the filibuster.
If it hurts to do it, one would have to have a passionate belief that it is necessary. Then if a member can last long enough to affect the opinions of a majority of the whole Senate, so be it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.