I understand the points and agree with the analysis regarding the votes. Although I do have to wonder if McCain and Graham had worked as hard to convince their own party to vote for various nominees as they worked for the compromise, perhaps things would have been different.
I'm also not pleased that some of the nominees still will not get an up or down vote. Frist says he will submit their names, and then perhaps we'll see where we really are.
You were much more calm about the entire compromise than I was at lunch :-) And time may well prove that your analysis was more seasoned, but at this point, I still have grave concerns that we have ceded control to the Democrats when we didn't need to.
Imagine a Democatic president and Senate. Imagine them signing this agreement which tells the Democratic president he has to confer with a minority Republican Senate before making nominations. Are you laughing hysterically yet? LOL
Anyway, it was great analysis with regard to the votes in particular and how that all played out.
I agree that both are suspect, even if this agreement turns out positive.
Good point. I think that's where the "good faith" clause of the agreement is tested. If any of the 7 Dems vote no on cloture without an explanation as to why the nominee is "worse" than Brown or the other 2, then McCain and company will have to force the issue to a consitututional vote if they disagree. At that point the agreement falls apart, and we are right back where we were, except that Frist would almost certainly call for the critical vote.
You were much more calm about the entire compromise than I was at lunch :-) And time may well prove that your analysis was more seasoned, but at this point, I still have grave concerns that we have ceded control to the Democrats when we didn't need to.
That's the point many are making here, and I am probably too optimistic (or obtuse) to recognize it. Seems to me the Dems are under all the pressure at this point.
Imagine a Democatic president and Senate. Imagine them signing this agreement which tells the Democratic president he has to confer with a minority Republican Senate before making nominations. Are you laughing hysterically yet? LOL
Interesting thought. The last rules change was instituted by Democrats, dropping the cloture vote to 60 in response to Republican filibuster use. Hopefully I won't see a Dem president and Senate for a long while.
Keep the faith. The "swing" senators on both sides of the isle who were under little to no pressure before are under a lot now.