[soupcon]

This would be encouraging if it came from anyone else but Fred Barnes.

[pissant]

McConnell is one of the few GOP senators with balls.

[SunTzuWu]

PING!

[sgtbono2002]

It sounds like Republicans have been schooled on being a minority by the democrats. Too bad someone didnt school them on how to be a majority.

[muawiyah]

Reid's a loser no matter which way you look at it.

[Oct1967]

I dont think it is necessairly Reid running rings around Frist or McConnel running rings around Reid, the Senate Rules are such that the minority has tremedous power to stop the majority.....and we should be thankful for that

[nutmeg]

FoxFan ping! (Fred Barnes, Fox News contributor and "Beltway Boy")

Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my FoxFan list. *Warning: This can be a high-volume ping list at times.

[George W. Bush]

Deck chairs, Titanic.

[DeweyCA]

The last three presidents got on average 17 appeals court nominees approved in their final two years, while facing a Senate ruled by the opposite party, McConnell says. To be fair, Democrats should allow at least that number to be confirmed now, he argues.

Why would any Pubbie expect the Dems to "play fair"? There is no way that the Dems will "play fair" with judges. Even if they had any thoughts of doing so (which they don't), they wouldn't dare do so now because that would offend their radical Leftist base.

[lilylangtree]

I can hardly believe that pubbies in Congress have a senator with brains, guts and a spine. It makes me almost believe in Santa Claus.

[Irish Eyes]

Have always liked Mitch McConnell. Good wrting by Barnes.

[Hacksaw]

I noticed that the legacy media went out of its way to explain cloture, something they never did when the dems were obstructing GOP bills.

[Suzy Quzy]

Too bad they weren't very good when they had the MAJORITY!!! Frist was a HUGE disappointment.

[chiefqc]

Reid is a crybaby thief who is now running scared, which could'nt happen to a better person.

[Clintonfatigued]

I am very encouraged by McConnell, who knows how to use the rules.

[Christian4Bush]

McConnell, after a dozen years of Republican rule in the Senate, has schooled Republicans on how to operate effectively as a minority.

Apologies if this has been noticed upthread...but it was the House Republicans that "ruled" for a dozen years. The Senate was "majoritied" by the R's for only four. Granted, they did have the Senate as a result of the 2000 election, but when Jeffords jumped, it made the Dims the majority party (and Tom Dasshole the SML). Other than that, spot on article.

And to it, I'll add that I'd hope at least one Republican, when they hear the caterwauling of "obstructionism", that they would put up a two prong posterboard. One side says "JUDGES". The other side has the name of a judge that was appointed by President Bush, had majority support coming out of committee, would have had a confirmation if the vote were allowed, and NEVER REACHED THE VOTE because Dingy Soiled D**pers Harry and his caucus didn't allow a vote. Go through them, one by one...including Henry Saad, the one that Dingy said would have been defeated anyway, due to what was in his FBI file (in which Dingy Soiled should not have looked).

Payback's a (witch - rhymes with), ain't it, Democrats?

[brydic1]

Although I voted republican in the '06 election, I think we may well be grateful to those republicans and independents that gave the House and Senate to the Democrats. Democrats totally disgrace themselves when they are in power. Just as Carter's victory sealed the fate of the democrats in '80, I think that the democrat victory this last election will rebound to a Republican victory in '08. Republicans, led by the their inept President and largely unprincipled Congress critters brought about the election result of '06.

When the American people see the insanity of the democrats thru the next 2 years, if the republicans conduct themselves half way sanely, they should be able to hold on to the White House and the regain the Congress. I truly believe that the best way to turn the American people to the conservative philosophy is for them to witness the insanity of the leftist agenda as represented by the democrats. I have said before and I say again that if it had not been for the Carter Presidency, we would never gotten a Reagan Presidency. I am still satisfied that I played a small part in that transition by voting for that nut job Carter in '76. It is imperative that conservatives take advantage of this by nominating a true conservative republicans in 2008 to take advantage of the revulsion the country will feel against the democrats in '08.