"Winning a showdown with the Democrats by using the so-called 'nuclear option' to stop the filibustering of judicial nominees would have given Senator Frist the kind of name-recognition that McCain already has and would be a major achievement to solidify the support of the conservative Republican base."
This is a key paragraph - and if Frist does not step up now and pull the trigger - his momentum will be lost.
However, remember during the 2000 primaries - Bush was blindsided by McCain - and Bush did the unthinkable - he fought back. McCain's intimidation did not work on Bush - and I guess we'll see if it works on Frist.
I'd like to see George Allen elected to Majority Leader - so we could see him LEAD. I'm basing it on Allen's statement that "this is no time to cower in the corner".
Over on tradesports.com, they're taking bets on the 2008 nominees.
Since January I've had placements on Condi & George Allen for the Republicans (in either order), and Mark Warner(Gov VA) & ?? for the Rats.
Common sense would dictate that the Rats not run Hitlery for any Exec Office position, but she has a lot of chips on the table. She may be the Bob Dole of 2008, an atrocious and losing candidate nominated only by virture of deposits to The Favor Bank (e.g., PAC money).
Keep in mind that Thomas Sowell is a prof. at Virginia's George Mason Univ., and I'm a Virginia resident as well, so there might be some bias toward Allen.
"This is a key paragraph - and if Frist does not step up now and pull the trigger - his momentum will be lost."
As it is now, Frist would not have the votes if he 'pulled the trigger.'
That has to wait to see if the dems default on their deal. If so, then some of the seven Republicans will support the rule change, thereby somewhat redeeming Frist.
But regardless of how this plays out, Frist has demonstrated he is NOT the calibre of leader, to justify being President.
If he was, this would not have taken place, for he would have "controlled" three of the seven, and had the rule change votes securely in hand.
And even if he had the votes, he might have cut a similar deal, and taken credit for the "leadership" to accomplish same.
It's not the GOP's trigger to pull.
If you took your kids to Restaurant Owen last year, and they acted up, then you have reason to suspect them. So, before you go to Restaurant Owen this year, you tell them, "Either you behave, or I'll have us leave before we finish dinner, and you will get a spanking." And off you go, to hopefully enjoy a meal at Restaurant Owen.
And wonder of wonders, the kids behaved! The DEMs voted! So, they don't get the corrective action that you warned them about.
It stinks that the side that is apt to misbehave has control of the timing of that misbehavior - but they do. We don't know yet, how determined Frist and the GOP are to correct the misbehavior. We'll know if the reconsideration of the Bolton cloture vote persists in it's current status, where the DEM's refuse to vote on the nominee, even though they know where they stand on the nominee.
Yeah, and McCain whined about it when Bush fought back.