[Will_Zurmacht]

am I not understanding something, but does it mean that the Dem signers promise not to filibuster, except when they find the case is extreme,

but that agreement isn't binding on other dem filibuster activity...or am i not understanding. Can dems not party to the deal still filibuster?

And couldn't the dems who signed claim that "this nominee is too extreme" and still get out of the deal?

Meanwhile, we have Rep senators promising to prevent the rule change no matter what

Maybe I'm stupid, but I don't see how this is a great republican victory...

[FreedomNeocon]

TALES FROM THE DU SIDE

merwin (1000+ posts)
Mon May-23-05 08:31 PM
Original message
I think we should spin this as a win for us, LOUD AND PROUD!


Because that will REALLY piss them off. Even if we don't think it's the best deal, as long as we are cheering and saying it's a good deal, the lemmings on the other side will turn beet red.

It's already been proven that they're irked and they think that they lost. So, if we spin it as a win, it will only make them madder.

[Enchante]

I read it saying that the Demagogues retain all their options but provide a meaningless promise only to filibuster in "extraordinary" circumstances. Since we know how freely they throw around the adjective 'extreme' for almost any Bush nominee, it is clear that any nomination COULD be defined by them as an 'extraordinary' circumstance (anything 'extreme' is certainly in some sense 'extraordinary' and they get to make the call).

The big question now, it seems to me, is whether the RINO "sense of the deal" is that THEY too get to make a judgment about whether the Demagogues are correct in judging any particular 'extraordinary' circumstances, i.e, will the RINOs allow themselves to say the Ds were wrong to invoke EC and filibuster a nominee, and that invalidates the whole deal so that the "constitutional option" is back on the table. Unless the RINOs allow themselves that option they have given the ball (at least on judicial nominations) to the Ds for the remainder of the 109th Congress.

Even if the RINOs have allowed themselves that out, it does not make the whole thing any more palatable, for it then puts McPain and friends in control of all judicial confirmations.... they have broken free of normal "party discipline" to a startling degree here, for now the WH will either have to clear judicial nominees with the RINOs in advance, or else risk lacking the votes to meet a D. filibuster with the "constitutional option."

That's how I read it, based on the limited info available so far.