Further the Democrats would use those on the far left to continue to intimidate them with charges (such as "Republicans = Nazi" and starve old people, and in general are just evil.
If the administration would take the bait and attempt to defend themselves, what ever was said would be taken out of context, and used (by the MSM) to demonize the administration.
So this administration came into office with a plan, ignore the left, ignore the baseless charges, ignore everything but the agenda. This has driven the left crazy, and their response has been to make even more outlandish charges and attempt to make anything the administration does a "scandal" (up to and including blaming them for a hurricane)
Here we are five years into this administration and the net result is that people are beginning to question the sanity of those on the left, but more importantly, they have mostly tuned them out.
We are now at a point where in any dispute where the average person may not have any personal knowledge but must choose a side to support they are going to give the benefit of doubt to the administration rather then the Democrats.
President Bush can nominate the most far right wing Republican he can find, and the response from the Democrats would be the same if he nominates a moderate. So why not go for it?
By spending five years obstructing everything the administration does, when it finally comes down to something that is really important, they have diluted their influence. In the court of public opinion, they have zero credibility. The Democrats traded the most valuable coin in the political world (credibility) for cheap political hits.
If I was to guess, I would say it is because in the past, when the MSM was the gatekeeper of “the News” they could get away with it, and even today they know something is wrong, but can not quite understand just what. (Hint for any Democrat leaders reading this, it is the internet stupid!).
If the Democrats were smart (I said “if”) they would have cooperated with the administration on the small stuff, allowing the President some victories with smart from the moderate Democrats, and only fight on the important stuff, but to the Democrats (like a selfish child unwilling to share their toys with anyone) everything is important, and so they fight over everything.
I think President Bush allowed the Democrats to “block” his judicial appointments with the next Supreme Court nomination in mind. Instead of going into this fight with a record of non-partisanship, they have a record of obstructions. So, if they do attempt to filibuster, the Republicans can use the “Nuke” option without fear of any back lash from middle America (the left will go ballistic, but they do regardless).
As someone else pointed out years ago, this man, President Bush is playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers.
What an excellent analysis! Perhaps you should make sure a few on our side read it, too.
Aren't you eager to read the story of what went on behind the scenes in this administration? I doubt that President Bush will do an autobiography, but I certainly hope someone does a biography of the President...perhaps Bill Sammon.
However, I think the base should keep the pressure on the president. I send a number of letters on various subjects daily. Here's one
Dear President Bush, Lately I have read disturbing reports that you may be considering nominating a "moderate" to replace Sandra Day O'Conner in order to avoid a bitter and vicious fight with Senate Democrats. Please resist all such temptations. We voted for you, in large part, because you promised to nominate originality's to the Court, men (and women) who respected the Constitution and would not substitute their own opinions for the law. So far, you have been a man of honor, and we respect and support that. We WANT a fight with the Senate Democrats. We are in the majority. We have fought for over 30 years to rein in a lawless judiciary. Pick the most controversial nominee you can and stick a thumb in the eye of the socialist, secular Democrats. Thank you for your consideration. Keep up the good work.
Do something about the amount of immigration that we are getting. We are NOT a colony of the world, and we do not need countless aliens driving down wages for American citizens.
A Democrat filibuster is a dead issue - - won't happen.
When Graham and DeWine walked into the scheme (the "Gang of Fourteen" deal) to trick the rats, they knew full well that they were going to take a hit from conservatives who were slow to figure it all out. And they did take a beating.
(Curiously, there are still some conservatives who apparently don't get it yet, even after Owens, Brown, Pryor and others have been confirmed, and even after it has been explained that Frist STILL has his finger hovering over "the nuclear button" and he can push it any time he needs to.)
At this point, thanks to the "extraordinary circumstances" language of "the deal", the rats are completely boxed in and our nervous "blue state" GOP Senators have the cover they need to vote nuclear if and when the time comes.
(It still boggles my mind that the Democrats walked right into the trap. I can hardly stop smiling!)
The Republicans needed to get a couple of ringers into the "Gang of Fourteen" in order for the scheme to work, and Graham and DeWine stepped up - - they are heroes.
The scheme was needed in the first place either because Frist was not certain that he had the fifty votes needed to "go nuclear" OR he figured that doing the "deal" was simply a superior strategy, especially from a PR point of view - - with "the deal", the liberal press couldn't accuse the Republicans of "running roughshod over the Constitution", being "bullies", doing "incalculable damage to Constitution", "destroying Senate tradition", etc., etc. This was the kind of press that some "blue state" Republican Senators were nervous about. But not anymore - - because NOW they got some COVER! See, if the rats filibuster virtually ANYBODY, especially a Supreme Court nominee, then the Republicans can throw up their hands and claim that the Democrats went back on their word. "We are left no choice, in the face of broken promises by the Democrats, but to change the filibuster rules at this time."
I happen to believe that "the deal" was a masterpiece of political ingenuity that could only have been dreamed up by the ghost of Lee Atwater over breakfast with Karl Rove. And it could not have happened without the willing participation of Graham and DeWine.
SUMMARY:
As a result of "the deal", the rats cannot sustain a filibuster because seven of them have promised not to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee except under "extrordinary circumstances". (Simply being a conservative does not meet the criteria of "extrordinary circumstances".) IF five of the seven Democrats in the "Gang of Fourteen" are forced by leadership to break their promise and support a filibuster, then the GOP can unabashedly (thanks to the cover provided by "the deal") exercise their "nuclear" option.
And so any talk of a filibuster is indeed "bluster".
Regards,
LH
(NOTE: The only monkey wrench the GOP faces is the threat that the rats have dirt on a RINO that the GOP does not have.)
THANKS..RUSH! :D