The Deal’s No “Victory” Republicans have been rolled

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE.COM ^ | MAY 24, 2005 | ANDREW C. McCARTHY

[Paloma_55]

We can always count on the Republicans to seize defeat from the jaws of victory.

No more contributions to Republican fund raisers. I am only going to direct to those who stand for conservative values.

[Theodore R.]

If outstanding nominees are sacrificed in a "compromise" then the whole arrangement is inherently evil. Years ago, the late Senator William Henry Seward, Whig-turned-Republican-NY, in fact declared all legislative compromises to be "essentially vicious." There is no victory except for the Democrats. Tom Daschle again was the big winner of the 2004 elections!

[Froggie]

Does anyone but me think this is McCain's long awaited payback of Bush for what he perceived as mistreatment in the South Carolina Primary of 2000? Payback is a b**ch as they say and now it's time for the Republican leadership to payback their own turncoats.

[Paul Atreides]

And, we can sure bet on how those seven "Republicans" will be voting on the other seven nominees.

[Paul Atreides]

No more contributions to Republican fund raisers.

Let them get it from all of the illegals they are handing everything over to.

[Paul Atreides]

McStain is the new Ross Perot. We need to make sure he is sent into obscurity, like Ross.

[reagan_fanatic]

[Bush gal in LA]

Yeah, just said pretty much the same thing on another thread. McCaine thinks by pulling this stunt he's pretty much hobbling Bush by making him a lame duck for the next 3 1/2 years.Thus paying Bush back from those primaries that he lost,and getting his revenge! And I think he must feel this move will make him a hero in some groups eyes, and he will just sail into the presidency in 2008. How wrong he is!

[Froggie]

I am betting McCain and Graham are dusting off their mantles for their "Profile in Courage" awards they plan on receiving from Teddy's clan for this betrayal of their party. I'm sickened by the whole lot of them and the Republic "leadership" that couldn't reign in these runaway children. LBJ would have arm twisted and Senators of his party that backstabbed his leadership when he was in the Senate - Frist just doesn't have the gonads for this war!
McConnell or Santorum would have be more forcefull advocates and enforcers. I suspect it was this kind of weak-knee'd wishy-washy leadership that make Senator Nichols hang it up and head back to Oklahoma where men are men! Unless he reverses this travesty and soon, Frist better get his medical CME in order as he'll be back cracking chests come 2008 and not having the Mrs. plan on redecorating the second floor of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

[No Longer Free State]

Time to go BRAC on their butts. Close every base in Maine and Arizona. Half in Virginia. You get the idea.

[Ben Hecks]

This could all have been avoided if McCain along with the other Keating Five had been ejected from the Senate 25 years ago.

[Noachian]

This whole deal stinks to high heaven, and we can only hope that after the President gets Owens and the other through the process he will send more Conservative nominees to the Senate committee.

This would force the Democrats into yelling "Extraordinary Circumstances", and start the Democratic filibuster process all over again. It would also show McCain and the other 6 RINOs as fools who made a fools bargain.

Those 6 RINOs would either have to vote against the President's nominees and incur the wrath of their party, or vote for the nominees and watch the Dems wave the deal in their faces.

McCain may get away untouched since he's the darling of the MSM, but the other 6 might have a shaky time of it.

[justshutupandtakeit]

The first wave of confirmations will now occur after the (wink) democrat victory (wink) then the rest of the ten will follow in short course. The RAT surrender was given a face-saving form and Frist is not compromised by this side deal. Bush's most couservative and controversial judges will now be confirmed and the RATS have cut the ground out from other filabusters having surrendered the high ground.

[jammer]

If outstanding nominees are sacrificed in a "compromise" then the whole arrangement is inherently evil.

Yes. I'll go farther: I believe it is time for serious people, even us educated in the public school rah-rah system, to begin to question whether the great experiment is any longer worth saving, or fighting for.

[jammer]

I have long agreed with you about lack of gonads, but now I am suspicious. I think they talk one thing to their constituents, but don't really care. It's great posturing, but in the end, posturing is all that matters, as long as state power, and, hence their power, continues to metastasize.

[Lord Nelson]

I will right here admit I was wrong about John McCain and maybe even somewhat wrong about Pat Buchanan. Pat Buchanan is right to criticize McCain for his idiotic concession with the Dumocrats. What was McCain thinking here? Yes, I agree when the Democrats are correct on an issue, partisanship should be put aside. Just like when Zell sided with Republicans on George Bush. But the Democrats are clearly wrong, trying to use procedure to hijack the rights of an elected Republican Senate majority.

[balch3]

That would hurt George Allen, who's lookig like our best hope for 2008.

[Taft in '52]

"Woe to him who seeks to pour oil upon the waters when God has brewed them into a gale."

Herman Melville

[Theodore R.]

No, the liberal GOP Seven won't be voting either way on the other nominees because the Democrats won't allow a clear up-or-down vote on those, as I understand this foolishness.