Posted on 11/28/2004 2:36:14 PM PST by NeoCaveman
Senate Republicans, boldly confident after their Nov. 2 electoral success, are preparing to end months of frustrating delays over President Bush's judicial picks by hitting Democrats with Republican's ultimate legislative weapon.
But the Republican threat to neuter long-cherished filibuster rules by steamrolling Democrats is risky — so potentially destructive that Capitol Hill calls it the "nuclear option." Democratic retaliation would be swift and long-lasting, raising the prospect of escalating clashes in a body that prides itself on gentility and cool judgment.
Even so, Republican leaders are signaling their intent to go nuclear in word and deed.
"We're going to use every tool we possibly can," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who also unveiled a kinder, gentler phrase for the potential rules change: the "constitutional option."
"Republicans are loaded for bear, spoiling for a confrontation with Senate Democrats on judicial appointments," said Norm Ornstein, an expert on Congress for the conservative-leaning American Enterprise Institute. "For a lot of conservatives, this has really become an issue that leaves them passionate."
(Excerpt) Read more at timesargus.com ...
But I'm not breaking out the champagne quite yet
Thermonuclear would be better.
DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll celebrate this in the past tense only. I'll believe it when Brit smacks Juan in the face with it.
Mitch McConnell said it takes 67 votes to change a rule on Cal Thomas last night.
I think you might be on to something. Snarlin' Arlen is all smiles lately, and that means that even for a RINO like him, he knows which side his bread is buttered on. He could certainly go across the aisle ala 'Jumpin Jerk Jeffords', but that isn't how he wants to end his political career.
Arlen wants a nice write up in the history books and if he has to turn right after many decades of leaning left, he'll do it. Politics makes strange bedfellows, as the saying goes, and Arlen is as strange as they come.
But he is a shrewd politician, and I think he would be on board for putting an end to filibustering shenanigans by the 'Rats, because the more the MINORITY party in the Senate tries to screw around with judicial nominations, the more it reflects badly on Specter, because he doesn't want ANYBODY to ever mutter something like "even Orin Hatch ran a better committee than Specter", so when it comes time to nuke the Senate 'Rats, I predict Senator Specter will be in the bombardier's bubble, lining up the targets, and calling out "BOMB'S AWAY!"...
Does my heart good to picture that. Imagine. Arlen Specter coming to his senses even at this late date.
Heh.
I'd still love to see the letter they made Specter sign.....
Yada, yada, yada... I believe it when I see it. Talk is cheap.
And they don't understand the difference between a rule and the Constitution.
Pack the court, pack the court,
Come on everybody, repeat after me and sing along
Pack the court, pack the court here we go
Pack the court
repeat until tired or bored /rant
Exactly. The Dems already declared war.
Launch them suckers! : )
The press is whining for the Rats, so it must mean we're getting somewhere.
Senate GOP set to go 'nuclear' over judges.........
It's about time. Too bad tiny Tom won't be there to have his snout rubbed in the dirt.
If they use every tool they possibly can, President Bush needs to do some appointments during the Congressional Break period.
Clinton set the precedent for that. We need to do it too to save time and energy.
"Constitutional option" ...what the heck is that? Oh yea, to Democrats using the Constitution is just an option. Come on Frist, lead with the Constitution...
Four years isn't that long, we need to expedite lots of things.
Music to my ears is a whining RAT. boo hoo hoo...conservative judges...boo hoo hoo...
Yeah, it's call winning. NOTE to Dimocrats: we won, we govern, get use to it.
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