I don't think the White House was, or is playing that type of political gamesmanship with PresBushes nominees to the federal bench. This was an all out effort by the Democrats to take away what should have been, a few easy domestic victories by the President, by muddling the waters and employing convoluted Senate rules. Until now, they've succeeded. An all out effort by the GOP should have been made from the get go.
Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that the president's judicial nominees, can be put through endless committee debate and never make it to the Senate floor because of a threatened filibuster. Senate rules are in the hands of the majority. Leader Bill Frist should have been pushing this through ASAP. And the perfect time would have been during Operation Iraqi Freedom.
We're talking about shifting the federal judiciary from a liberal agenda, to a conservative agenda and the sooner we get started, the better off things will be.
That is just not true. Read the follwoing. YOu can find the senate rules at Senate rules link
Everyone needs to understand that this rule change has far a far smaller chance of passing than conservative supreme court nomination.
All Senate Bills including resolutions that modify the rules can be fillibustered under the current rules. When and if Frist brings it to the floor for action the Democrats will just filibuster it like they do the judicial nominations. It is just grandstanding.
Here is the text of the Senate rule. Note that a resolution to change a senate rule takes 67 senators to vote for cloture. The Republicans are just grandstanding.
2. Notwithstanding the provisions of rule II or rule
IV or any other rule of the Senate, at any time a
motion signed by sixteen Senators, to bring to a close
the debate upon any measure, motion, other matter
pending before the Senate, or the unfinished business,
is presented to the Senate, the Presiding Officer, or
clerk at the direction of the Presiding Officer, shall
at once state the motion to the Senate, and one hour
after the Senate meets on the following calendar day
but one, he shall lay the motion before the Senate and
direct that the clerk call the roll, and upon the
ascertainment that a quorum is present, the Presiding
Officer shall, without debate, submit to the Senate
by a yea-and-nay vote the question:
"Is it the sense of the Senate that the debate shall be
brought to a close?" And if that question shall be
decided in the affirmative by three-fifths of the
Senators duly chosen and sworn -- except on a
measure or motion to amend the Senate rules, in which
case the necessary affirmative vote shall be two-
thirds of the Senators present and voting -- then
said measure, motion, or other matter pending before
the Senate, or the unfinished business, shall be the
unfinished business to the exclusion of all other
business until disposed of.