Frist Said to Have 'Nuclear Option' Votes

NewsMax ^ | 5/22/05 | Carl Limbacher

[wagglebee]

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist reportedly has the votes to enforce the so-called "nuclear option" against judicial filibusters instigated by Democrats, despite claims to the contrary by Minority Leader Harry Reid.

After a Thursday meeting with Senate Democrats, Reid boasted he was ready for the coming battle. "It was one of the most pleasant experiences of my entire life," he told reporters. "We walked out of there so united. We talked about what's going to happen after Tuesday," when the filibuster showdown is expected to come to head.

But according to New York Times columnist David Brooks, Reid was blowing smoke.

"Harry Reid, told a small group of us Friday he was cautiously optimistic that he had the votes to defeat the nuclear option, but I think he's wrong," Brooks said Sunday.

"John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, John Warner and maybe Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe will vote against the nuclear option, but none of the other Republicans are likely to."

"Bill Frist has the votes," he predicted.

Brooks also reports that attempts by Senate moderates to hammer out a deal to avoid the filibuster showdown have collapsed.

"The talks stalled. Joe Lieberman didn't bother to attend the final meeting. Positions will probably harden over the weekend, making a deal less likely tomorrow," he said.

[strategofr]

"McCain immediately replied, "I never said I had had a conversation with John LeBoutillier. I don't know what you’re talking about." "

The end justifies the means. Lying, even abandonning fellow POWs, might be required to foster "friendship between nations" and international peace. Vote for the Manchurian Candidate.

[NeoCaveman]

Everyone forgets McManiac can pull a Ross Pirouette and run independent.

Unlike his hero Theodore Roosevelt, McCain might pull away more Democrat voters than Republians.

Of course if he were to carry a few states, he'd wind up throwing the election into the Republican dominated House of Representatives.

[ASA Vet]

It would be great to have a 3-man race

DemonRAT front runner, Hillary, might be considered a man, she has the equipement.

[strategofr]

"You forgot the </sarcasm> tag, right?"

LOL!

[Stonedog]

Everyone forgets McManiac can pull a Ross Pirouette and run independent.

Good, we need someone to counteract the probable third party run on Tancredo or some other "15 minutes of fame" isolationist.

[oceanview]

republicans provided ruth bader ginsburg with a 96-3 SCOTUS seat, with no debate. that's all you need to know about how republicans in the senate (majority or minority) would do with a Dem president. there would be no need for a rules change.

[BobL]

...and another thing - if we pull off the nuke option, these judges still get votes of the full Senate. As we've learned in the past couple of months, there are a lot of Republicans who do not necessarily rubber-stamp everything that the leadership wants.

So, if some nominee is really off the wall, then all the Dems have to do is find 6 of these Republicans to go along - that shouldn't be so hard.

The problem is that there is nothing wrong with these people, except that the Dems are trying to impose an ideology on the courts, even though they are a minority.

On the other hand, if I remember correctly, Clinton to elevate a District Judge to the Appellate level (Philadelphia, I think). The guy was pathetic - he was throwing out 1000 lb. drug busts because of slavery (or something like that). The Republicans threatened to make it an issue, and Clinton withdrew him.

There are ways to fight those who you don't like without cheating - and that's all we ask.

[oceanview]

I can understand that republicans like snow, collins, chafee - who hold seats in otherwise Dem states, might need some "cover" on this vote. But what is McCain positioning himself for by helping to block these judges?

[ml1954]

< Not if he runs as a Democrat.

I had the same thought. JFnK didn't court him so heavily for no reason at all.

[BobL]

"Good, we need someone to counteract the probable third party run on Tancredo or some other "15 minutes of fame" isolationist."

Tancredo scares me a lot more than McCain. And he should scare the rest of the party - so they wake up on immigration.

[BobL]

"I can understand that republicans like snow, collins, chafee - who hold seats in otherwise Dem states, might need some "cover" on this vote. But what is McCain positioning himself for by helping to block these judges?"

...and Warner, and Hagel, and Graham.

[Radix]

"But what is McCain positioning himself for by helping to block these judges?"

He wants to be seen as a "maverick."

[SandRat]

"When the New York Slimes says the 'Rats have lost, they've lost!"

Don't you just love that? Looks like things are changing for the better with strict constitutionalist jurists about to go on the bench to replace socialist inventors of the law. Now we can get the Supremes lined up, the 9th cleaned out, and the 6th tidied up a bit. Then follow that up with charging the ACLU with RICO violations and drag in the environutz on a similar charge. We could really clean house.

[votelife]

if Frist got some Senators to bluff a no vote who are going to vote yes, then I'll be VERY impressed with Frist!

[middie]

Your supposition about some unrecalled judge is like the end of the whisper line at a party where a rumor is begun at one end of the room and passed along from person to person until, at the end, there is no similarity between what began and what comes out at the last person's report.

[Cboldt]

By the rules of engagement (ROE) Frist has defined, he is not "allowed" to call for a rules change vote until the Dems block cloture. Hence, the Dems can repeat the current drama as many times as they want to, until the Repub coaliton hits a weak spot.

In other words, Frist has given tne Dems the choice of when the critical battle will take place. This ensures they will win.

There are always a number of optional approaches, and within each appraoch, there are a number of aveneues the drama can play out. In order to restore a simple majority requirement to reject presidential nominees, I see at least three broad options:

• Move directly to change Rule XXII (unlikely - takes 2/3rds). This option could be introduced at any time. It does not require a nominee, or need to work in the context of consideration of a nomination.
• The path we are on - bring a nominee, ask for the vote, and file a cloture motion in reaction to an objection to take the vote.
• Confront the propriety of using cloture at all, in the context of nominations. I advocate this as a matter of principle, and Senate practice has a clear example for this where it handles treaties. The same arguments that I prefer can also come up in the context of cloture.

In the second option, you are right that the timing of the battle is driven by the failure to obtain cloture. This outcome is almost certainly in DEM hands. In a system of unanimous consent, the minority has the nuclear trigger.

What will the DEMs win if cloture passes? Only the retention of the same power they have today, and only at the expense of voting on Owen.

[Stonedog]

Tancredo scares me a lot more than McCain. And he should scare the rest of the party - so they wake up on immigration.

I will not give another dime to the party until they address illegal immigration in a real way. That said, I will also not help elect President Hillary by voting for a one trick pony like Tancredo. The issue is real, but not the all encompassing problem some would make it out to be.

[BobL]

Oh well - that's what happened. If you choose to not believe it, that's your problem.

Your the one supporting the Dems on this thread.

[kittymyrib]

Any senator who votes against the President and the country in this matter ought to be treated as a parriah by the Republican Party. Funds to their states should be cut and military bases closed. It's time the people in the states who vote for these turncoats and backstabbers suffer. After all, the rest of us have to suffer for the decisions these senators make.

[BobL]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1403497/posts

Post 17, now get a life.