[Defiant]

Snooker, giving yourself a handle that implies cleverness and coming up with oh so wise statements like "path to success is not straight up the hill" does not mean that Specter should chair judiciary, or that the filibuster should be allowed to remain in Senate rules. I am telling you that we can probably survive Specter, but he will do what he can to subvert the will of the President on judicial nominees, and I am saying that the Rats will filibuster the Supreme Court, and will probably have 40 votes to do it.

We can put Specter in charge of the henhouse, and we can keep the filibuster rule intact, but that imperils to a great extent, far more than our cities are imperiled by al qaeda, the approval of the President's nominees.

How we respond to this peril will demonstrate how serious we are in accomplishing our goals. We can continue with a "go along" attitude and HOPE that things turn out all right. Or we can spend our "political capital" and ENSURE that things will turn out all right. That decision right now is up to Frist, Senate Republicans and the President.

The President is a good strategerist, but sometimes he is too willing to avoid conflict. It cost him some accomplishments in the last obstructionist congress, even after he won back the Senate, and it cost him a lot of votes in the past election. He should have won going away, but he never went after Kerry like he should have. Anyway, characterize it how you like, but they have 2 choices and I would vote to ENSURE success.

[snooker]

Snooker, one who catches snook. This is a snook for the unknowing.

I defer to you oh wise one. I just don't agree with you.

Sometimes the path to success is not straight up the hill. You obviously want to go up the hill, I will call for the ambulance to stand by.