And the Pubbies still have their nuke option.Exactly. The filibuster is still on the table, but so is the anti-filibuster.
And not only that, but we get five judges right now, three of whom the RATS swore would never serve.
And furthermore, the DUmmies actually think they won this one. I'm glad there's a lot of dissent in the ranks here and among other conservatives (Townhall, etc), thinking this is a win for the RATS. Let the RATS think they've won. Their misapprehension of reality screws them up every time, and this time their erroneous calculations of victory spell Error with a capital E.
The fact is, there are not just the 7 RINOs to consider. There are 14 faithless party members. All we need is 2 of them. Just 2 out of 14. One or both of them just might be a faithless RAT. And why would a RAT be faithless? For the same reason a RINO might surprise us all and grow a spine: fear of the conservative trend in voting back home.
So is the filibuster still on the table? Of course it is. And I say: bring it on.
Because now, as a result of this deal, there are 14 wavering nitwits who fear for their silly butts so much that at least 2 of them will bolt and vote to go nuclear. Please remember, everybody, these 14 have absolutely no principles at all. They will vote for their own self-interest and nothing else. Can you honestly say that you are sure that of those 14, we won't pick up 2 who fear the filibuster will backfire on them? Can you honestly say you'd rather be in the same mathematical position that the RATS are in right now?
No, my fellow freepers, this is victory. And the greatest thing about this victory just might be that it's spelled with a lower-case v.
This will be a conservative victory only if enough of the seven Republicans show the resolve in the future that they are not showing now. If they are shy about the constitutional option now, why won't they find some excuse, e.g., "the Democrats reserve their right to call candidate X an extremist" to avoid a later confrontation?