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I think the first phrase I heard about the Senate when I was a boy described it as the most exclusive club in the world.

Both parties had conservatives. Both parties had liberals and eveyone tried to get along.

The realignment of parties has put all liberals in the Democratic Party and mostly conservatives in the Republican party. Some liberal Republicans have not departed as yet.. But they will soon enough.

The senate has gone from an exculsive club to a place where all must carry a club for self defense. That is a massive change.

What I did last spring was download the Senate rules and read them. My object was to think of as many ways for Democrats to block court nominees and the Presidents agenda as I could. One of the first ways that occured to me was hijacking the Senate with Rule 21. I feared it could be used to effect a new brand of filibuster.

I tried to think of a way to stop or prevent it. I as not as good at that part of the game. I tend to be a lot better at offense than defense.

What struck me about the rules is they are very much like the rules of an exclusive Gentlemens club where all gentlemen are of the PROPER CLASS... They appear to me to assume that all members will behave like gentlemen..

Ried ain't no gentleman. The days of gentlemen and gentelwoman senators are gone.

Perhaps I am wrong. When Ried pulled the stunt yesterday my first thought was Ried was doing a dress rehearsal of occured to me last spring. But perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps yesterday was just a stunt as Frist said.

I hope I am wrong. I often am.

I think I'll bring this discussion back to ATRW, if you'll agree, CT, rather than the other thread we were on ( http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1513922/posts?page=83#83 )... especially since some really level headed folks abide here...

I believe that this "Rule 21" could be changed by a simple majority vote right now. Is that true? Is this one of those items that, like the constitutional/nuke/byrd option is actually susceptible to change this session because Frist didn't accept the rules at the start of the session?

I think so. If so, Frist's (and I honestly believe he was in pow-wow with Rove and the WH last Dec. about this type of problem so I'll include them, too) foresight could be of inestimable value. However, in order for the moderates to get fed up enough about this "stunt", the Dems will have to work this sufficient numbers of times for a strategy to nuke it is prepared.

I doubt that once was enough - despite Frist's anger yesterday.