Deal averts filibuster showdown

MSNBC ^ | May 23, 2005 | Associated Press

[kennedy]

Centrists from both parties reached a compromise Monday night to avoid a showdown on President Bush’s stalled judicial nominees and the Senate’s own filibuster rules, officials from both parties said.

[El Gato]

take control of our Senate for the first time next year so conservatives will control all of OK State Government. Time better spent IMHO!

That's what we thought in Texas. For the first time since reconstruction, the Republicans control the governor's office and both houses of the state legislature. They promptly voted to create a new tax, which is an income tax in all but name. For the Children of course. And, to relate it directly to the subject matter of this thread, for the Judges, who declared the last two school funding methods unconstitutional, and those were elected, mostly Republican, Judges.

[El Gato]

The rules can be changed anytime we want them to be changed.

Then they should be changed now, when the media furor over the act will have had time to die down before the next election, and maybe even before a Supreme Court vacancy occurs.

[El Gato]

Uh...so that when we do invoke the nuclear option during SCOTUS nominations, we can show that we tried to take their word as truth?

And how many times do we have to go around that circle?

[El Gato]

What exactly is so bad about this agreement?

The principal that each nominee should get an up or down vote in the Senate. Two nominees are not going to get that. A principle was conceded. That's what losers do. Winners stand on principle.

[MeekOneGOP]

http://www.greysquirrel.net/john.html

---

Squirrel of the Month

John McCain

After being asked, repeatedly, to make Senator John McCain our squirrel of the month; We, here at the Global Squirrel Network have looked into the matter and decided:

1) He does seem to have the ability to draw people to him . . . as do squirrels.

2) He also possesses the unique ability to make bitter enemies of neighbors . . . Just like squirrels!

3) He has suffered inhumane treatment at the hands of humans, giving him a most personal insight into the lives of everyday squirrels.

4) And finally, he does look like us. For example, the photo, at left, is certainly the face of a squirrel, fiercely protecting his nuts.

© 1997 graysquirrel@worldnet.att.net

This Website © Grey Squirrel's Page of Silliness 1998 All Rights Reserved

[LS]

Good point on the zap balloon. Some people here are all testosterone. It was the same crowd who wanted us to "go into Fallujah" before we were ready. We waited, did a little "attriting," and took the city with very few casualties of our own.

[LS]

Those "extreme circumstances" are going to come back to haunt the Dems, and be used by GOP in other categories. Just watch.

[LS]

Sorry, that ain't what Sun Tzu says. One of the reasons for the "Bridge" is specifically so that you do NOT "annihilate" the enemy. (BTW, Tommy Franks quoted this exactly in his dicussion of the Gulf War, and agreed with it).

One reason you do not annihilate the enemy is that all enemy won't fight to the death, but will a) run, b) desert, c) come over to your side. You want a circumstance to allow the faint of heart to escape without sacrificing your own troops. It's pretty brilliant, and it was EXACTLY what we did in Fallujah when we had a "pause," where hundreds of "fighters" left the ranks and quit fighting; joined the Iraqi army; or just went back to their jobs. Then we killed the rest surgically, without a "Gotterdamerung."

[Les_Miserables]

Maybe, but I think it was the arm twisting behind the scenes that torqued Warner and pushed Graham over. W/o those two the deal was done. What they have said is your POTUS must come to our little group of 14 to get approval of your nominees beforehand so we can avoid "exceptional circumstances". Disgraceful. They "protected the Senate" and weakened POTUS in the bargain. I have no use for any of the 7 Dwarfs. At any rate the real effect of this debacle will become apparant soon when Rhenquist steps down....Unfortunately we won't have to wait long..He's heroically waited for this to sort out but he is only human and weakened at that.

[LS]

Somehow I doubt Bush was "weakened." Just watch. He cut them all off at the knees.

[Les_Miserables]

Just saw Graham on Fox say that if any of the seven Rats filibuster any judges in this congress he will withdraw his pledge to prevent the nuc option.... the beat goes on...Frist needs to get the next batch on deck for debate. We'll see who snookered who.....Eyes closed, gritting my teeth.

[pctech]

Fine by me, I don't mind losing a wimpy cowardly senators. They caved, they had the rats by the throat they let them go without a fight. This is a very sad day in American history.

[LS]

Look, the whole thing is a mess. But it did get the "moderates" out in the open on both sides, and tends to put them on the spot WHEN the Dems cheat (and they will back out of their agreement). Thus, I think LG and Warner will be back in the fold. So we win the next filibuster vote.

I still think Bush will get all of his judges, save one---there seems to have been a foregone conclusion on one guy, but I don't know who.

The best news is that this has utterly killed McLame for the presidency; and it has badly wounded Frist, no matter how he handles things from here on out; and that leaves George Allen and Bill Owens, which is fine with me.

[Nuc1]

Good post LOL!

[Nuc1]

Well said. And amusing.

[Froggie]

Just saw Graham on Fox say that if any of the seven Rats filibuster any judges in this congress he will withdraw his pledge to prevent the nuc option.... the beat goes on...Frist needs to get the next batch on deck for debate.

Graham already looking for cover - he screwed up big time here - a political calculation gone bad! He was backpeddling as fast as he could on Hannity today but Sean didn't let him off the hook easy. He was making more excuses for this than a 5 year old with his hand in the cookie jar. He will rue the day he became associated with this come re-election time as it will be expensive to have a primary fight against a real conservative - certainly one can be found in all of South Carolina. And any hope of a national office is gone forever - none of these republican turn-coats could win national primaries.
The senators from S. Carolina and Ohio should have known better - they get paid to make the tough choices, and this was a cowards way out!

[potlatch]

Hi SmartA, just catching up on pings. I've been off 3 days!

[Smartass]

Hi Potlatch...
3 days off, lucky you. I'm just catching my breath. Had to hit the books pretty hard since last week. Got to get to bed early tonight and catch up on some needed sleep!!!

[potlatch]

I did that yesterday, wasn't feeling good so I went to bed early and slept 12 hours!

[Smartass]

The filibuster was a sham.
Looks like a new political party has emerged?
I call them the DemoCans, made up of 7 DemoRats and 7
DumbCans!