Posted on 05/25/2005 6:28:42 AM PDT by GaryL
All you conservatives out there – listen up! Take a deep breath! Climb down from the ledge! Chill out! Things are not as bad as they seem! As a matter of fact, things are downright rosy!
In spite of what all the conservative pundits are saying – including Rush Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, Thomas Sowell – we did not get rolled in Monday’s deal with the Democrats. As a matter of fact, it’s just the opposite. The Democrats have been taken to the cleaners…only they don’t know it yet! As usual, they have followed Teddy Kennedy’s advice and he has led them into another political disaster.
The problem is that no one – including our side - is looking at the big picture. What actually happened as a result of this deal is that, for all practical purposes, the filibuster as a means to obstruct judicial nominees is dead! Isn’t that what we wanted in the first place? And like Reagan winning the Cold War without firing a shot, we achieved this goal without having to initiate the so-called “nuclear option,” and thus avoided taking the huge hit from the mainstream media. The MSM was waiting with bated breath, ready to pounce on the Republicans like a cat on a cornered mouse. Can’t you just hear them repeating the mantra “…and the Republicans actually changed the rules in the middle of the debate!”
In the first place, we now will get confirmed the three nominees deemed by the Democrats to be the most “extreme”: Pricilla Owens, Janice Rodgers Brown, and William Pryor. OK. Follow me on this. If these three are the most “extreme” - by the Democrats own definition - what does that make the others? That’s right…moderates! Does anyone really believe that the Democrats will now resurrect the filibuster to obstruct “moderate judges”? Of course not! Majority Leader Frist has vowed that all of the remaining judges will be put forward for votes promptly, possibly within a week or two. Should the Democrats be foolish enough to filibuster any of these “moderates,” he has also vowed again to ignite the “nuclear option.” All the centrist Republicans who supported the agreement – including Susan Collins and Lindsey Graham – have likewise vowed to support Frist should it become necessary. Let me see…they give up the filibuster while we retain the right to use the “nuclear option” against the filibuster and have become united in our opposition to it. Sounds like a victory to me!
How about the seven Democratic “centrist” senators? I doubt very seriously that any of them would support a filibuster at this stage of any kind, most especially against the remaining “moderate” judges. Guess what. These people have been looking for a way to dissociate themselves from the Teddy Kennedy wing of their party… and now they have found it. Trust me…THE FILIBUSTER IS DEAD! Without these seven senators, the Democrats couldn’t filibuster Attila the Hun!
And don’t you see how silly the Democrats are looking already? What was all the fuss about Pricilla Owens in the first place that they had to block her for four years? This so-called “extremist” will be confirmed today with a sizeable number of their own party voting for her! That’s some “extremist!” In other words, they’ve proven again for all to see that you can’t trust their judgment on who is really “extremist” and who isn’t. Like the little boy who cried wolf, their use of the label “extremist” has a definite “hollow ring” to it.
Let’s recap: the Republicans have effective eliminated the filibuster without taking the huge media hit, while letting it be know that they retain the threat of the “nuclear option,” with their seven senators on record as supporting Frist should the Democrats be foolish to try the filibuster again. In addition, the Republicans appear as the “moderates” in the debate, willing to try compromise to avoid a senate showdown. As an added side benefit, John McClain – by taking the lead on this and being so willing to side with the Democrats – has shown once again that he can’t be trusted and for all practical purposes has committed political suicide. Can anyone imagine him winning a single Republican primary in 2008? As usual the media has got it wrong again, making McCain the winner and Frist the loser.
All in all, not a bad day’s work!
The president of NARAL stated that this was a major victory, and was sure that the nomination of anyone who did not voice an opinion on abortion would be considered an extraordinary event, and subject to filibuster.
Betrayed by a Gang of Seven By Michael Reagan
But if you want to know who really won in this disgusting episode listen to Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, who boasted that her group was "heartened that the crisis has been averted and the right to filibuster preserved for upcoming Supreme Court nominations. We are confident that a Supreme Court nominee who won't even state a position on Roe v. Wade is the kind of 'extraordinary circumstance' this deal envisions."
I hope we still have the Constitutional option available, but it was my understanding that the seven senators agreed not to vote for that option for the duration of the 109th Congress. That would give us only 48 Republican votes, easily defeated by the democrats and the traitors.
GaryL went to some length in explaining his position. If you don't mind, please explain your point of view. How did the Republicans get out maneuvered, out media-ed, and out gonaded by the Democrats?
I hope you are right but I dont think that you are. This process will just begin over again as soon as the next group of nominees come up for a vote. The Dims will say the President didnt consult them and that too many right wing extremists are already on the courts. After that the same old bellowing about extreme executive power will commence and the spineless rinos will again buckle( for the good of the Senate and the sheeple of coarse).
I respectfully disagree with your assessment of the McCain and the spineless six sellout. It's been my experience people such as Rush Limbaugh, Bill Bennett, Laura Ingraham, and Thomas Sowell see right through liberal treachery and are right about the consequences in the long run.
If Clinton had been removed from office Gore would have been "President Gore" during the 2000 election.
So, with one vote covered by the agreement, the Dems have violated the agreement in one vote. They are oh-fer-one right now on following through.
My prediction is that they will probably never fully honor this agreement.
What? Wrong!! They have already said they reserve the right to filibuster for "extraordinary circumstances", which is so ambiguous it can be applied wherever they wish. And that was only those Dems who signed the agreement, not all Dems. Dead? Sh**, it's been given vitamins, courtesy of the 7 Sellouts.
By the way, if theyre going to Filibuster, why aren't they doing an actual one, standing up and talking straight for hours on end?
I thought that part of the "deal" was that the nuclear option was put on ice until next session?
Nothing precludes those who didn't sign from filibustering.
OOPS- I have to apologize, Gary. I thought you were pasting and I didn't see you had written that yourself. Sorry for my harsh rhetoric. You make some good points, gave it some good thought, but it all hinges on Democrats and their media accomplices acting like rational human beings. That's never a good bet. A lot of us are just very frustrated right now and don't want anyone to try to put a happy face on this. Sorry that I came across so abrasive.
Mike
Well, he certainly is good at running out the clock on himself, then.
"But on the other hand, I'm glad Bush didn't have to run against President Al Gore in 2000."
The only way Al Gore would have been President is if Clinton died. Clinton wasn't going anywhere. That's why there were FBI files missing. Good insurance policy.
Welcome to FR.
The heavy flamers aren't awake yet. Give 'em time.
"Are you saying the only way Bush won...was the Supreme Court gave it too him?
Who are you?????"
I think he meant if Clinton was removed from office and Gore was President, Bush would have run against Gore in 2000.
For the life of me, I can't understand how this amounts to a scenario where "the GOP got screwed on this one."
If you can have it all but instead settle for half then you haven't gained half; you've given half up.....
I was just reading all of the post in different forums.
I don't know, did you ever have a feeling...
Yes, I didn't mean to say there weren't any reasonable Freepers left. There are. Last night's big thread was a doozy though. Most of the heavy flamers are probably still asleep.
"As an added side benefit, John McClain – by taking the lead on this and being so willing to side with the Democrats – has shown once again that he can’t be trusted and for all practical purposes has committed political suicide."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO I LOVE that line, just wish it were so! Heard from Arizonian FR folk there that he won handily with 70-75% of vote! Let's wish it so though and work hard to dethrone him from his VIAN chair!
I think this is all just to provide cover for the Demorats impotence to stop the Pubs from killing the judicial filibuster. It allows them to back down and claim a victory. And, of course, the MSM is going along with the story to provide cover for the Rats. The MSM folks are hardly so naive as to believe any of this nonsense.
Your point regarding what has happened so far is proof this is true. Only future action on the remaining nominees will confirm it for sure.
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