On of your finest analyses, Congressman. I especially loved the quote from Macbeth. The perfect summation of the "great event."
The dems don't care about this deal. They want Republican blood.
They got it yesterday, and that will only encourage them.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
One can say that it is "no agreement at all" but that doesn't mean that their are not winners and losers. Once "all hell breaks loose" when that SC vacancy appears, it will be much more difficult for the Republicans to nuke the filibuster option. If they had done it now, the filibuster would be off the table for SC fights in the future. It may seem subtle, but I think we lost.
Good analysis.
I don't really care if the show down is later. To me this looks like a cease fire until 3 of our best nominees get confirmed. I'm elated to finally see them get a vote. If the rats only pause their illegal filibustering and obstruction until 3 judges get confirmed and then want to continue painting public perception closer to the next elections...I don't see it as a negative for the GOP. Any fleeting bad feelings this compromise creates will be diminished when the judges are confirmed.
bump for later
Kabuki theater.
The press has the right number of syllables, but the wrong word. This is a victory for the cowards in the Senate.
Hopefully, the same sort of "victory" Pearl Harbor was for the Japanese!
Senators who sell out our Constitution for an enthusiastic sound bite from the admiring media and a handshake from Robert Byrd aren't worth a warm puddle of spit. Two big losers in this will be Graham and DeWhine. Those are two politically stupid men with tin ears. McCain is finished as a Presidential candidate for the GOP, but not as the darling of the media.
THANK YOU for naming the nominees left in the lurch.
We need to HIGHLIGHT THIS FACT.
The wound has *not* been healed until *all* nominees get an up or down vote.
I believe the most important parts of the "compromise" are the unwritten agreements that were made behind the scenes to hold the coalition together. I am concerned that Graham and Dewine will frustrate the Judicial committee nominations of controversial (read extraordinary circumstance) candidates and "advise" POTUS that they will not reach the floor for a vote. (Specter has promised to work for sending all nominees to the floor but he can't be held responsible for Graham and Dewine.) Therefor it becomes a no brainer to avoid a filibuster since no "bad" candidate will get reported out for a vote. Completing the circle this means Frist will never be able to exercise the Constitutional Option since there will be no failing cloture votes against which to apply it. This kills the filibuster tactic but only by making it unnecessary and also attempts to force POTUS to "consult" with the "14" for approval before sending over any candidate. We will see if this holds if Bush sends a high profile conservative over to replace Scalia once he moves up to Chief Justice since it will be difficult for Graham et al to put a hold on a high profile SCOTUS appointment. They will have to vote that person down. Maybe this is too Machiavellian but I trust them not. They are lawyers after all.
I wasn't really paying atention to the Demos involved, but it figures that my very own One Armed Bandit would be involved.