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Where to start....

Let's first take a stab at trying to figure out the Democrats' strategy. Every that both the GOP and the Dems will do in that regard involves working backwards from one point in time...next Tuesday evening, when President Bush will deliver the State of the Union speech. The GOP wants, and will get, Alito confirmed BEFORE the speech, even if the vote occurs Tuesday afternoon.

There will not be a filabuster. Some Dems continue to dangle the idea, to keep the looney left base excited, but it's not in the cards. I expect Alito will receive 5-7 Dem votes....indeed the Red state Dem senators now are making their case to be allowed to vote for Alito. Dems are stupid, but some do remember the lessons of 2002..

So, then..what's their plan? Having watched the Dem leadership comments after the committee meeting yesterday, and Reid's thoroughly detestable SOTU prequel, full of all sorts of gratuitous "advice" to the President; my sense is that the Senate Democrats intend to use the three days or more, of floor debate to beat up on the President on every issue..the NSA, the all-powerful executive...the whole liberal laundry list...They feel that the country will be watching,a nd they will get a lot of free media time. It's their chance to speak to the country.

Watch the leaders' time this morning, when the Senate convenes. Frist, then Reid, speak. The majority leader will announce his floor schedule..He should say that there will be three days of debate, with a vote scheduled for Friday afternoon, and that to accomodate Senators who want to speak at length, he will hold the Senate late every night. Now look for Reid to try to gum things up...to get even more debate time..to hold the vote over until next week. There may be some parliamentary rules quirk that will allow for additional debate time. I'm not sure..

However, this is where Frist should, indeed, must, draw the line. If more time must be allowed, then he will hold the Senate in session on both Saturday, and Sunday if needed..No way can he allow this to vote to go over to next week, because it will be a huge distraction from the State of the Union..

So unless he is smart and gets a WRITTEN agreement from Reid as to the vote schedule, you may well see a cloture vote filed within the next day or so.

I expect the early manuevering this morning to get very bitter, even ugly.

Hopefully you all saw some, or most of yesterday's hearing. All of the GOP senators were excellent, but we have to hand out two gold stars for exceptional work..

1. Lindsay Graham: "I'll just tell you right now we welcome that debate on our side. We'll clean your clock...." (I have a feeling that we may have just seen the birth of the GOP campaign slogan for 2006)

2. Tom Coburn: The "anti-Biden". Living proof that you can say something meaningful, and powerful, in a brief period of time. Directly refuting those Dem senators, especially Feinstein, who said ad nausem that they were voting against Alito because he was "against the little guy" and against Roe, Coburn said their concerns ring hollow..."I think about the most vulnerable 'little guy' in this world, which is the unborn child, which we attain no liberty for in this country any longer. And how can we claim to be for the little guy and ignore that little guy?" A great big "well done" to the good doctor..

Having watched the Dems' performance on all issues the last few weeks, I'm very optimistic about the fall campaign. I thing that the senator from South Carolina is indeed correct. The GOP will GAIN seats in both the House and Senate. And the reason why is simple..The Dems are virtually clueless. They are waging a campaingn that plays very well in three places: Inside the Beltway, in the MSM, and in their hard core base. But those three do not make a political majority..they fall far short of it. But Reid, and Schumer, et al, see all the cameras, all the reporters, get on all the Sunday shows, and they think..."wow...look at all the interest I'm generating. I must be relevant to the American people.." Yup..keep holding onto that thought for another 7 months, until the roof falls in..

BTW, has anyone else besides me noticed that the Dems greatest absolute power couple, my next-door-neighbors, the Clintons, are totally MIA on the Alito debate? Nary a peep, a comment. Hillary's out there issue pressers on medical care..and avoiding the media like the plague. Maybe she's reading "Gone With The Wind? Ya think?

And here's a last little tidbit...

Last night, while channel surfing during the endless commericals on "American Idol" I caught a snippet of "Commander in Chief". I've never seen the show, but have read about it on FR threads. It's a blatant attempt to promote the idea of a Hillary presidency....( and BTW, the ratings are tanking, badly)..but in the few second I saw, the President's husband, who is also a politician ( the First Fellow he's called) responding to criticism that he is really calling the shots in the Oval Office, says..( and this is a direct quote..I almost fell off the chair when I heard it..) "The American people are lucky to have me there. They get two for the price of one."

Now, sports fans...does that perhaps sound familar?

FREEPER HEALTH ADVISORY: Any attempt to watch more than three consecutive hours of Democrat senators talking is hazardous to your health. So change the station, take a walk, do some work, ( hah!) cook dinner..others will keep you advised...Note: the previous warning does NOT apply to when Sheets is on the floor..

And remember, as your resist the desire to put your foot through your new HDTV plasma flat screen, into the face of a Dem senator, with all its flaws, our democracy is still the best form of governance yet devised by man..