Posted on 05/24/2005 2:46:51 AM PDT by Liz
The real winner in the Senate judge deal could be President Bush because it opens the way for Congress to finally start getting things done.
Right after the deal was unveiled, Democrats were visibly relieved while Republican conservatives were livid, fuming about a "cave" by centrists led by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). Talk radio and conservative bloggers went wild.
Why? Because the odds were that if push came to shove, Republicans would have had the votes to kill all filibusters of judicial nominees and humiliate Democratic leaders.
No wonder Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was cheering, even though the deal guarantees confirmation of jurists Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owens and William Pryor all of whom he's blasted as unacceptable extremists.
"Armageddon has been averted, and thank God," said Schumer, well aware that Democrats could have come off much worse.
That's why conservative Republican activists in the key states of Iowa and New Hampshire are already vowing revenge against McCain if he runs for president in 2008. But the White House put on a positive spin after all, Bush will now get three of his top-priority appeals court judges confirmed.
And, if the Senate had come to what Democrats called "the nuclear option" a vote to strip them of filibuster power over judges all hope for cooperation in the Senate would be over.
Now the success of the judge deal could encourage centrist Democrats perhaps Sens. Joe Lieberman (Conn.) and Ben Nelson (Neb.) to start working toward compromise on other issues, as Bush has been hoping.
A Democratic staffer predicted one result will be the confirmation of Bush's controversial nominee for U.N. ambassador, John Bolton "No one is going to want to filibuster him now," the staffer conceded.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
Well said.
Senate R.I.N.O Republicans:<img http://www.castiglioneaccordions.com/images/zcastiglione2.jpeg
I reserve judgement on this deal until I learn more about the details, such as who defines "extroidinary circumstances".
I guess for the liberals a Constitution that should be a "living,breathing document" does not translate into a "living, breathing Senate". In addition, even after this deal, we still have two judges who were "disenfranchised" of a vote.
....it all depends on what the meaning of extraordinary is........
2) Frist has successfully been neutered as having any political future.
3) The "golden bridge" paves the way for a couple of "conservative" Dems to either switch parties or begin voting with the GOP on a regular basis, now that they have saved face.
4) Bush cleverly got everything he wanted: his judges, he screwed McLame, even while McLame thinks he won; and Bush can begin setting up his successor. Pretty shrewd.
It was a huge win for the GOP, and will prove to be so even more over time. I think conservatives are going to look back with glee at how McLame/Hagel were maneuvered into destroying their political futures.
We won. Don't be fooled by the extra-testosterone-high spin of the ultras here. We get every judge, regardless of the language. McLame is through, as is Hegalian. Bush will get Bolton and his legislation. Once again, brilliant strategery.
A very apt description!
Amen to that. My family is considering a move from NY to SC and I sure don't want to trade what I have for a twit like Graham. Time to turn the turncoats out into the street. Amen.
Of course the Democrats giving up the filibuster is good for us. All the people who can't see that now will see it soon. But most of them will feel like we should have crushed the Dems like bugs. Since we didn't they will always feel cheated out of a chance to humliate the opposition. But this was without a doubt a strategic retreat by the Dems when they realized that they were going to lose the nuclear vote today. So they did the best they could.
Thanks for posting this and trying to cheer us up.
I am still a bit too cynical after last night's shameful "Deal"--but thanks for trying.
This was about as underhanded as one can get....and that 'one' was definitely McCain.
He's always looking for opportunities to weasel his face before a camera and push/backstab the Republican 's in the process.
I don't know what this says about Frist...but I definitely think he was ambushed....
..and by that Graham cracker too!
Reid was just revolting, in you face.
What gave that bunch the authority to make a deal, anyway.
Everything will be just fine Laz. You should give this a chance to play out.
Right, but on the first level.. politics is like an onion..lots of layers..
As George Allen just pointed out, Reid got what he wanted.
Sorry, I need another cup of coffee, but you know what I mean, don't you?
Well, that should be a "duh."
What I want to hear about is about conservative voters in ARIZONA vowing to get that pustulent boil off our backside.
Starting with Snowe in Maine. I will NEVER vote for her again. If she loses the conservative base it will be difficult for her to win. I'd gladly sacrifice her. What a moron.
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