Posted on 05/06/2005 3:26:34 PM PDT by churchillbuff
The outcome of a looming Senate confrontation over judicial nominees rests with a small band of uneasy Republicans who are reluctant to follow their leaders and force up-or-down votes on President Bush's contested federal court candidates.
... all worried that a clash that's come to be called the "nuclear option" would cause lasting damage to the Senate. ...[snip] Among this band of renegade Senate Republicans are northeasterners Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine, Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island and Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Nonconformists John McCain of Arizona and Chuck Hagel of Nebraska also are included, as is 27-year Senate veteran John Warner of Virginia, who reveres the chamber's traditions.
Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Gordon Smith of Oregon also are counted because they've voiced reservations about the showdown, though only McCain, Chafee and Snowe are considered sure votes against the Republican leadership.
(Excerpt) Read more at kansascity.com ...
Or .. is this just more wishful thinking on the part of the media ..??
Cheney can be the 51st vote.
I'll take it.
Apparently this doesn't include the tradition that in order to filibuster you actually have to put out some effort?
I remember when I was a kid taking Civics a Senate motion for cloture required 67 votes. Didn't a 'Rat-controlled Senate change that to a mere 60 votes? Looks to me that the 'Rats have already tampered with the filibuster. I don't ever remember hearing anyone denouncing the end of the House 'filibuster' in the late 1800s. What a shame it would be to turn our legislative branch of government into a body where the majority rules.
Yeah, good point about how the Dems recently modified their sacred Senate rule.
Clearly, McCain and Hagel think that by seeming to be "moderate" they have a good chance for the presidency in 2008. I wouldn't vote for either of these pieces of garbage if my life depended on it.
When will McCain and MSM admit that the only way that McCain got votes in the 2000 primary was by independents and Democrats who were allowed to crossover in certain primaries. Republicans voted against him in droves. And, I believe, that was one of their proudest moments.
People like Snow, Collins and Chafee are just idiots.
If these jackasses weren't so out of touch with the people of this country whom they work for, they would realize how laughable that really is.
McCain motivated me to attend my first party caucus in 2000--so I could vote against his liberal butt!
Therefore, when those two bills are passed and signed as Acts, Frist will bring to the floor either Judge Owen or Judge Brown (odds favor the latter). Having counted the Senate noses better than Lugar did in the Bolton hearing, Frist will then pull the trigger.
This is not rocket science, but there is a certain need to pay attention to the processes of the US Senate.
Congressman Billybob
I agree with your analysis, except I prefer to think of the DEMs as the ones "pulling the trigger." They can vote when the motion to vote is made, or they can "pull the trigger" by objecting to taking the vote.
You know less about getting people elected than the man you name yourself after.
"what is the real reason to fear challenging the Demos?"
NYT WP CNN CBS ABC NBC for starters - and then maybe cocktail parties; trips to the hamptons ..??
But .. the "squish" moderates need to get a clue.
"Why deals/compromises if the votes aren't there??"
BINGO!!!
LOL!!! You'd have to be a first class idiot senator to think partying with that crowd would be any fun?
Vote the RINO Wimps Out!
And, does anyone wonder why President Bush used his political weight to keep Spector in office let alone allow this ingrate to Chair the JC?
But .. RINO's are just liberal enough they like the company of the dems .. and they are cowards who are afraid to stand up for what they believe in .. which makes them easy targets for the dems' attacks.
Ditto to that. Like how the article labels them "nonconformists." The media just loves those "renegade Republicans." Not so much love for the Zell Millers or Ben Nelsons of this world though.
IMHO, this strategy (pass major bills first, THEN go Constitutional) is doomed to failure.
The longer Frist delays, the more pressure is put, the more threats are made (FBI files, anyone?) against the RINOs and other spineless Repubs.
I would suspect that Frist realizes this, and is trying to ultimately get out of the showdown (heck, he surely can't "really" want this!) by allowing the other side to pick away at what tenuous support he has.
IMHO, this is all a big game of positioning for public consumption. I'd wager BIG money that Frist has NO intention of EVER pulling the trigger. Maybe he will go through the motions, but he HAS to know that every day's delay erodes any support that they MIGHT have had at one time.
These people make me crazy. DO IT ALREADY!!!, before it's not doable!
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