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Thanks for all you did. My point was that many who are so critical did not do a thing to advance the judicial nominations.

I respectfully disagree with the comment that the Repub. Caucus & Bush are to blame.

If my team of 55 players looses because six or seven players gave away the game to the opponents, it wouldn't make sense for me to blame the whole team. Blame the six or seven, not the players or team captain who played their hardest to win.

You pose a good question about why the Dems are better at party discipline than the GOP. There are at least 4 reasons.

First, and as explained in my earlier post, an insufficient number of FReepers and other conservatives actually contacted their Senators or took other tangible action. In contrast, the loony left got all their people into the act of lobbying their Senators to block the nuclear option.

(You and I were the exception in terms of actually taking actions. Among other actions, I went to the March for Justice II and the turnout of conservatives was pathetically low. Our side was outnumbered by leftist counter-protestors, another example of how leftists with their backs to the wall per fourth point below are more likely to get active than complacent conservatives or GOPers.)

Second, the GOP is in the majority and majority status increases the tendency of Senators of either party to make a name for themselves as a power by breaking rank & making deals with the opposite party (ala McCain, among others).

Third, if a GOPer breaks ranks, the media give him hero, maverick status (e.g., McCain). In contrast, if a Dem breaks ranks, the media assign base motives and slime him (e.g., Zell Miller).

Fourth, the Dems have lost so many elections lately, they have their backs to the wall. A group is more likely to be cohesive if each member fears political annihilation could result from the person breaking ranks.

Good analysts.

Blame the six or seven, not the players or team captain who played their hardest to win.

What is a team captain supposed to do? Just be a cheerleader. Not on the teams I've been on. He will kick you butt if you don't give your all. And if you stab your team in the back? oh Lord. HE WILL GO ... OBE WAN ON YOU.

BUT in this case the team captain and the coach were in a galaxy far far away.

I appreciate your well thought out response but still disagree.

Bush & Friest have a lot a power. Power over chairmanships, pork, base closings, RNC campaign contributions, etc. Had they made this a test of party loyalty vote - and made it clear that retribution would be forthcoming - I think Dewine & Graham would have stayed on board.

Why do you think DeLay is called the Hammer? The repubs in the house have a fairly small majority but the Hammer keeps them in line. Yes, the senate isn't the house, but if Friest and Bush can't keep the party together on this, where we have the high ground, they have no chance on social security.