Posted on 11/21/2013 5:24:07 PM PST by smoothsailing
November 21, 2013
What is the filibuster? It is a time-honored Senate procedure that prevents a bare majority of senators from running roughshod, according to our friends on the New York Times editorial page. But that was in 2005, when Republicans frustrated over Democratic filibusters of President George W. Bushs judicial nominations were (with National Reviews support) considering the so-called nuclear option, the overblown name of which suggests that it is rather more than a change in the Senates procedural rules. The Times denounced the Republicans rank hypocrisy in 2005, as did any number of Democrats. Having reversed themselves at the dictates of convenience, they show themselves to be hypocrites on the matter at hand and also on the subject of hypocrisy call it hypocrisy squared.
The Democrats here are helping themselves to ill-gotten gains. Using the filibuster and other stalling techniques, they kept judicial vacancies open by closing them to Bush nominees. Miguel Estrada was kept off of the D.C. Court of Appeals by a filibuster; Democrats refused to process John Robertss nomination to the same court (to succeed James Buckley, the gentleman previously known in these pages as the sainted junior senator from New York). Later, when Roberts was named to the Supreme Court, Democrats blocked George W. Bushs nominee for his replacement, Peter D. Keisler. Robertss earlier nomination advanced only after Republicans took control of the Senate, something that Harry Reid in his hubris seems to think will never happen again.
The filibuster is not sacred writ, and we are on record supporting procedural changes to overcome partisan obstruction. The more serious concern here is that the Democrats are attempting to pack the courts, especially the D.C. Circuit court, with a rogues gallery of far-left nominees. That is worrisome in and of itself, but there is a deeper agenda: Much of what President Obama has done in office is of questionable legality and constitutionality. The president no doubt has in mind the sage advice of Roy Cohn: Dont tell me what the law is. Tell me who the judge is. He is attempting to insulate his agenda from legal challenge by installing friendly activists throughout the federal judiciary. That is precisely what he means when he boasts, We are remaking the courts. Republicans are in fact obstructing those appointments; unlike the nomination of John Roberts et al., these appointments deserve to be obstructed.
The filibuster is a minor issue; the major issue is that President Obama is engaged in a court-packing scheme to protect his dubious agenda, and Harry Reids Senate is conspiring with him to do so. The voters missed their chance to forestall these shenanigans in 2012. They made the wrong decision then, and have a chance to make partial amends in 2014, when they will be deciding not only what sort of Senate they wish to have, but what sort of courts, and what sort of country.
This and the zerocare implementation/meltdown. Gawd, 2014 is going to be very, very ugly. I’m not kidding one iota.
If the Senate swings Republican next year, this could really backfire on Dingy Harry.
I doubt it could be put in better terms than hypocrisy squared.
It’ll be a great day if Repubs take the Senate back next year because it could just be the start of payback for 0bummer and his leftists in the Senate.
You're dreaming.
If the GOP takes the Senate next year, the Democrats and MSM will instantly pivot 180 degrees. The lame-duck session will re-instate the filibuster rules and reset the clock back to the pre-Nuclear Option state.
If the Republicans object, they will be vilified as hypocrites, and worse.
For the next few years, you will see the filibuster taken away whenever the Democrats control the senate, and re-instated whenever the Republicans control it.
This cycle will end when the Democrats take over permanently, which will happen as soon as they succeed in their plan to effect "fundamental change" by means of demographics.
The Democrats have swung that pendulum so far to the left it’s going to swing back to the right with a vengeance once it starts gaining momentum.
Here’s hoping Barry, Harry, and all the rats get caught in the whiplash.
2014 is going to be very, very ugly.
Ugly? The rats will pull all the stops.
We haven’t seen ugly yet.
Socialists are not magnanimous in victory
cause that is the time to finally deal a
death blow to their opposition.
We have no idea. Well, a few have, those who study
history understand what we will face.
Churchill said there may be a time when it was better
to die than kneel as slaves. All of us may find out.
Hopefully they do.
We haven’t seen nuthin’ yet as far as their excuses and crying over 0care if we take the Senate and the consequences they’ll suffer.
Let's make that happen.
Jesus Christ: You cant impeach Him and He aint going to resign.
My tagline applies here.
where is the pic of Valerie Jarrett saying something like ‘we have judges ready to go....”
2014 is going to be very, very ugly.
Ugly? The rats will pull all the stops.
We havent seen ugly yet.
Socialists are not magnanimous in victory
cause that is the time to finally deal a
death blow to their opposition.
We have no idea. Well, a few have, those who study
history understand what we will face.
Churchill said there may be a time when it was better
to die than kneel as slaves. All of us may find out.
I like your thinking. Lord knows it needs doing.
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