McCain -- Vain,
Warner -- Snooty,
DeWine -- Whiney,
Graham -- Shorty,
Chafee -- Cokey,
Collins -- Moosey,
and Snowe -- Squishy,
Part I: Commitments on Pending Judicial Nominations
A. Votes for Certain Nominees. We will vote to invoke cloture on the following judicial nominees: Janice Rogers Brown (D.C. Circuit), William Pryor (11th Circuit), and Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit).That’s right—"Votes for Certain Nominees" is bolded. Because Brown and Owen were going to make it through all along. Pryor was, too, after the filibuster was killed. This killed the filibuster rules change for SCOTUS, which was what making sure Owens or Brown were the first nominees was all about. THAT is what is wrong with this deal--not so much that it's only getting three nominees through, but preventing the likelihood that we will be able to appoint a known, visibly conservative justice to the U.S. Supreme Court instead of a Souter. Brown and Owens were great p.r. for the filibuster. White males will not make it through the MSM smearing.
B. Status of Other Nominees. Signatories make no commitment to vote for or against cloture on the following judicial nominees: William Myers (9th Circuit) and Henry Saad (6th Circuit).
READ: As RINO sellouts, we commit to avoiding the overt appearance of pro-white racism (which we will be called anyway for being Republicans), demonstrating that we're anti-white racists, and voting for closure on blacks and women and a token conservative to sweeten the deal—but no more white guy nominations—the rest will all fall under the “extraordinary circumstances” exception, of course!
Part II: Commitments for Future Nominations
A. Future Nominations. Signatories will exercise their responsibilities under the Advice and Consent Clause of the United States Constitution in good faith. Nominees should only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances, and each signatory must use his or her own discretion and judgment in determining whether such circumstances exist.
B. Rules Changes. In light of the spirit and continuing commitments made in this agreement, we commit to oppose the rules changes in the 109th Congress, which we understand to be any amendment to or interpretation of the Rules of the Senate that would force a vote on a judicial nomination by means other than unanimous consent or Rule XXII.Why, looky here, the rats just exercise their responsibilities in ‘good faith,’ and only filibuster under ‘extraordinary circumstances.’ You can always trust a Rat to do things in good faith, like Teddy Kennedy on the education bill. There is a certain segment of the populace that CAN be fooled all of the time, as the old saying goes.
As much as I'd like to think this was JUST the Seven Dwarves selling us out, as freeper sirthomasthemore pointed out, "With Frists’ speech, we now know the real culprit was the Senate as a whole. It basically appointed a committee of 14. While the rest of the Senators entertained and kept their bases preoccupied on CSPAN, the committee was at work finding a negotiated settlement. Have you heard ONE GOP senator, call for retribution against the Rino’s? Have you heard GWB scream out in righteous indignation? No, and we never will."(edited for television)
"You can always ease tensions and avoid confrontations by surrendering. You can always postpone a showdown, even when that simply lets the problem fester and grow worse.Some Republicans may take comfort from the fact that they still have the option of changing the Senate rules in the future if the Democrats violate the spirit of their deal. But, once you have had the votes to win and wimped out instead, there is little reason to think that the weak sisters and opportunists on your side will be with you the next time high noon rolls around.
While members of both parties are trying to put a good face on this political deal and the media have gushed about this "bipartisan" agreement, Republican Senator Charles Grassley was one of the few who called a spade a spade, when he characterized what happened as "unilateral disarmament" by the Republicans.
If it was just the Republican Party that lost in this confrontation, that would be a minor partisan matter. What is of major importance is that the American people lost a golden opportunity that may not come again in this generation."
- Thomas Sowell "Never has a majority party proved to be so spineless. Republicans, lest we forget, constitute 55 out of 100 senators and have the power to do what they please. Instead, they capitulated. It is now crystal clear that unless Republicans own almost 60 seats, rules will not be changed; unless Republicans own almost 70, cloture will never be invoked on a major issue. If that doesn't discourage the Republican base, nothing will."
- Ben Shapiro "One may argue that a compromise is durable to the extent its signers make genuine sacrifices. In this compromise, conservatives and moderates have sacrificed resorting to the constitutional option that would confirm judicial nominees by a simple majority. The left has sacrificed three nominees it would have lost anyway, while thwarting two and retaining the right to apply a Senate rule of a required supermajority (60 percent to break a filibuster) not only to all other district and appellate nominees, but to nominees to the big enchilada - the Supreme Court."
- Ross Mackenzie "It is not a great deal for two nominees who have been accorded a nice wake having been thrown overboard at sea. (And) everyone should also clearly see that ultimately, nothing has been settled when a vacancy arises on the U.S. Supreme Court."
- George Allen Maybe the best rejoinder to anyone who thinks these Senators were in it for anything but themselves.
"In any compromise between Good and Evil, it is only Evil that can profit." - Ayn Rand
