Posted on 11/26/2004 10:34:31 PM PST by neverdem
Flexing their new muscles, Congressional Republicans seem intent on reigning as a dissent-smothering monolith. First, House G.O.P. members slavishly obeyed the maneuver by Tom DeLay, the majority leader, to render his control of the caucus ethics-proof by making it possible for a party leader to keep his post even if he is under indictment. His counterpart in the Senate, Bill Frist, was more discreet but no less ham-handed. He has engineered a rules change designed to cow the few Republican moderates who may still be willing to nip back at demands for party fealty.
The rule undercuts members' independence by giving Dr. Frist the power to fill the first two vacancies on all committees. This hobbles seniority, which has been the traditional path to power. The leader now has a cudgel for shaping the "world's greatest deliberative body" into a chorus line. Senator Olympia Snowe of Maine, chronic Republican maverick, got to the heart of the matter in skewering her leader's accomplishment: "There is only one reason for that change, and it is to punish people."
Toadying, of course, would avoid punishment. (Senator Arlen Specter's flirtation with independence already seems shaken by anti-abortion zealots.) Yet in a perverse way, this hubris by the Senate's more potent conservative bloc compounds the value of any dissent. The rule may even brace moderates to stand faster against extreme G.O.P. initiatives.
But nastiness is in the air as the new Congress limbers up. Democrats vow to never forget Dr. Frist's foray into South Dakota to help unhorse his counterpart, Tom Daschle, the minority leader, whose farewell speech was boycotted by a victorious, decidedly unsentimental majority. Dr. Frist, who many expect to run for president next time, seems beyond the range of minority Democrats, but not G.O.P. moderates seething at the rules change.
That's good I'm rather sure the Republicans don't want the DUmmies to forget it either.
At least they got one thing right, it's Dr. Frist, who has done more for the good of mankind than the New York Times could ever dream of doing. He travels to Africa regularly and performs free heart transplants, I supose the Slimes thinks he's Dr. Mengela practicing on natives or something.
MEATHEAD? SHIITE HEAD is more like it.
Lockbox and all? Well, until I see a filibuster-free series of presidential nominee votes, I'm not hiding the purdee wimmen.
It's a new world order out there in Media Land.
Thanks for the link.
Only thing that this boy knows about either spine or balls he learned in anatomy class. If then.
Good luck to all our FReepers here who think that Frist is anything but a cave-in pantywaist.
You're damn skippy. We won't let you forget. Look out, we're coming to get'cha in '06!
Yup, two right of center members of the commentariat are one too many. It was interesting that Safire substituted for Brooks on PBS's Newshour while Brooks made the transition from the Weekly Standard to the so called "paper of record".
I've more than a few times heard democrats use the phrase "anti-choice." They try to make pro-lifers sound as bad as they can. How'd they like it if republicans referred to them as "anti-life"? I think they'd scream bloody murder!
The Times should be thankful.
So9
I do miss the days when there were conservative Dems. We still have liberal Repubs so I wish them well but want to see the conservative Dems again. Aligning the Senate on liberal vs conservative will only help our side so there's not anything to lose here. We have Republicans trying to figure how to be a majority and Dems trying to figure how to be opposition and not continue to lose seats. Right now I see Frist as moving to advance the majority agenda. Hopefully we won't need this strong of a whip as we progress.
bump
placemark
Pinchie's paper is losing circulation already. Wouldn't it be funny if half the subscribers only take it because of Safire?
I am taking great delight in this editorial. The NYT sees the handwriting on the wall and can only lash out by name calling. I must have missed the boycott of Daschle's farewell address. That fact alone brought a smile to my face.
The NYT is unraveling -- they can't even use proper grammar. Should have been "whom" not "who."
Carolyn
Blah blah, yada yada, bulls**t bulls**t.
Didn't hear 'em squawking and whining like this when the Democrats ran things into the ground with an iron fist. They just can't STAND it when it's our turn to enact legislation; they just HATE it.
It's all about power, folks. The louder the left whines and cries, the happier I am. I just love it.
Can it actually get any better than this? I have been around quite awhile and this is as much post-election fun as I have ever had. The libs are in absolute free-fall.
He has engineered a rules change designed to cow the few Republican moderates who may still be willing to nip back at demands for party fealty.
I seem to remember how the scurvy Clinton shut the government down when he could not make the Repubs do his bidding.
Screw these liberal cry babies(Rhinos and Dems alike)and let them bleed!
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