Posted on 03/23/2005 5:45:14 PM PST by freeholland
A grave and as yet unrecognized danger presently looms for Senate Republicans with respect to the upcoming battle over the President’s judicial nominees. Democrat reaction to the possibility of a Senate rules change has been nearly hysterical, which might seem to offer Republican political strategists reason to rejoice. Yet if they are not careful, the situation can be suddenly turned on them.
Despite Democrat caterwauling to the contrary, this situation is not, in their minds, about preserving the Constitution, and it is not about finding some mythical “common ground” between the liberal view of constitutional law and a conservative effort towards the same end.
Rather, it is all about preventing the appointment of individuals who are dedicated to the preservation of the original intent of the document. The present philosophical war being waged here is not intended to decide the nature of our constitutional republic as being liberal or conservative, but will instead determine whether our constitutional republic, as envisioned by the founders, will prevail or fade into oblivion.
In the midst of all of this, a more immediate alarm should be sounding among the Republicans. Along with their efforts to define the judiciary, Democrats are pursuing a political agenda that could potentially inflict extreme collateral damage on GOP Senators, if they are so inept and unprincipled as to be ensnared as they have done in the past. And with each ensuing outrage from the judiciary, the stakes are raised for both sides.
Liberal political operatives have set the stage for a dramatic “win/win” scenario, which will eventuate in the immediate aftermath of a Republican capitulation at this crucial juncture. And such a scenario is not without precedent.
Though Republicans had successfully gained majority status in both the House and Senate during the dramatic 1994 elections, and though they went into the ‘95 budget battle with optimistic expectations of redefining the scope of federal spending policy, a massive public relations offensive by the Clinton Administration completely thwarted their efforts.
Rather than standing fast on the principle of reigning in an obviously out-of-control federal budget, they took their eyes off of their real purpose in Washington and became preoccupied with public opinion as expressed by the major media.
Eventually, as a result of incessant criticism on the nightly news, the entire issue was reframed, not as one of irresponsible spending by a bloated government bureaucracy, but as an endless series of hardships suffered by the “little people” and caused by the “Republican government shutdown.” Ultimately, the Republicans caved.
The Democrat strategy yielded an unprecedented surge in momentum. As a result, they not only resumed their dominant role in shaping the federal budget, but also were also able to blame Republicans for the entire debacle. The feat was truly amazing, especially in consideration of the fact that it was Bill Clinton who, by his veto of the budget, actually caused the shutdown.
Once Republicans retreated from the fight to control spending, and allowed the issue to be framed as a matter of returning the government to full and proper operation, they were unable to escape culpability for the original problem.
Democrat refusal to allow an up or down vote on President Bush’s judicial nominees has amounted to an escalation of recent liberal attacks on the Constitution. Republican efforts to counter this obstructionism and allow for the confirmation of pro-Constitution judges should therefore have been loudly portrayed as a fight over the very integrity of the Constitution.
Unfortunately, Republicans failed to spotlight the controversy in such terms. Liberals, always ready to manipulate any situation to their political advantage, now assert that it is they who are fighting to protect and preserve the Constitution. This preposterous deception is spearheaded by that standard-bearer of shameless liberal hypocrisy, Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia.
Undoubtedly, certain faint-hearted individuals within Senate Republican ranks would like to simply back away from the tumult, in hopes of avoiding criticism. But that option no longer exists, if it ever did.
A Republican retreat at this juncture would henceforth cement the notion of absolute Democrat dominance over the makeup of the judiciary. And doing so in the face of such fraudulent accusations would not soften their effects, but would instead validate them.
Ultimately, it will be up to the Republicans to determine whether this situation eventuates into the last dying gasp of liberal dominance, or if it becomes the greatest rout of conservatives ever achieved by the American left.
Growing up during the turbulent decades of the ‘60's and ‘70's, Christopher Adamo saw, to his dismay, the nation's moral foundations being destroyed before his very eyes. But even then he was a staunch Conservative at heart, and rejected outright the tenets of America's counterculture revolution. After a hitch in the Air Force, where he specialized in airborne electro- optical systems, he pursued a career in the field of aerospace, working for major defense contractors in California, Florida, and Colorado. But his career plans abruptly changed during the industry-wide downsizing that followed the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
Presently he is working in the field of industrial instrumentation in the state of Wyoming. Concurrently, he has become involved in that state's political process, attending state GOP conventions as a delegate, and serving as a member of the Wyoming Republican Central Committee. He has also aided in the candidacies of local legislators and state senators, as well as a U.S. Senator and Congresswoman.
From 1993 to 1996, he edited and wrote for “The Wyoming Christian”, the state newsletter for Christian Coalition of Wyoming. During that period, he developed an acute awareness of the harm being done to Conservatism by liberal activists within the Republican Party as well as the Democrats. This remains a favorite theme of his articles, which now appear as a regular feature on GOPUSA.
Comments: cadamo@wyoming.com
Visit his website at http://www.chrisadamo.com
If the spineless GOP leadership doesn't get the New England leftist Republicans in line on this issue, this old soldier is done at the voting booth for the foreseeable future.
No one ever went broke betting on Republican cowardice.
One of the biggest advantages of being the majority party should be the ability to get your judicial nominees approved. The Republicans who are against the nuclear option are being way too "fair". The Democrats are cutthroat: if they held the majority and the nuclear option was needed to get their judicial nominees thru, they'd use it in a heartbeat.
Maybe we should give the Democrats an ultimatum and a deadline---and then use the nuclear option if they don't comply. Maybe that would make some of the "wobbly" six or seven feel better about voting for it.
"The present philosophical war being waged here is not intended to decide the nature of our constitutional republic as being liberal or conservative, but will instead determine whether our constitutional republic, as envisioned by the founders, will prevail or fade into oblivion." --Christopher Adamo, 2005
"Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." --Abraham Lincoln, 1863--Boot Hill
I don't think they're afraid in the way you mean.
I think almost all Senators are from the same class-after they leave home, they go to elite schools, they imbibe elitist doctrine, and they are therefore secularists and moral relativists.
When they go back home, in order to become Senators, they have to fit in with the People.
In red states, this means they have to be verbally committed to the life/natural rights agenda.
In the glory days of the Republican minority, this presented no problem to them, because their was no chance that their advocacy of their constituents "simplified" beliefs could lead to a concrete result.
Now, however, nothing stands in the way of the national GOP agenda-except for the reluctant dragons of the Senate GOP "majority".
Many of them need to be replaced.
"Make recalcitrant Republicans pay a political price."
Add Frist, Lindsey Graham and Trent Lott to that list. What good are they?
"There are six Republican senators who are either against changing the rules or are not solidly for it...Without the support of at least two of the six (51 votes required to change the rules), the rule change will fail and the liberals will win. Frist will not bring it up for a vote until he knows what the outcome will be."
And that would be a mistake on Frist's part. By pushing for such an amendment and flushing out the Benedict Arnold Republican Senators, that would help the party in the future. How can the base correct the problem if it is not made aware of who the weak links are in the party?
And this guy thinks he can be President in '08?
"As it is, the Republicans have passed their ENTIRE economic agenda, and have wavered on the ONLY part of their agenda that is truly pro-life: the nuclear option."
They have achieved their economic agenda, while America is still a welfare state? And with the largest federal government in history? You must have an interesting set of measures.
actually, Republicans filibustered many of Bill Clintons Judicial Nominees.
Yeah, then he appointed them anyway when congress was not in session, followed by pardoning all his criminal friends before he left office.
Whose side are you on Mr. 03/25/05?
"It's quickly becoming apparent that the only option we have left to stave off judicial tyranny is the 2nd Amendment."
That's what it's there for.
"Let me ask you a question. If over 2000 years ago, you could have saved Christ from being hung on a cross, that precious life, would you have done it? What would have been the result then?
"Sometimes God wants us to see bigger things."
The political nature of government is to achieve the platform of its constituency.
If the Party fails that, it is *not* entitled to its base.
Bush can achieve both activist foreign policy *and* providing the leadership and bully pulpit work needed to get pro-life judges through.
It's *not* a one of the other proposition. And you should know better.
I would say that our "men in black robes" are America's version of Iran's mullahs.
Almost akin to the French.
BTTT This is probably one of the most important discussions I've seen on FR in a while!
"I would say that our "men in black robes" are America's version of Iran's mullahs."
Civilised government is established with the consent of the governed. If the various branches begin to act outside of this consent, on a major and persistent basis, they are acting contrary to their duties.
What then for the progressive left to do? Expand "the governed." No longer are American justices (and the Democrat party) working for Americans, but they are World Citizens, and must respect a new covenant.
This can all get real ugly. And if it does, you can bet people will be looking in history books about this old party called the Republicans.
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