A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....05-26-05...Facing the Nuclear Option, Dems release 3 hostages

johnhuang2 and dutchess | johnhuang2

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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Facing threat of Nuclear Option, Dems release 3 hostages

by JohnHuang2

Be honest. Admit it. You were scared. No, terrified. You'd pick up the newspaper, read reports about the GOP's dangerous gamble with its nuclear ambitions in the Senate, and you were horrified. You're watching your favorite soap opera, but in the back of your mind there's fear -- fear of EBS tones going off, Dan Rather announcing that Republicans had fired nukes on advancing Democrat troops, vaporizing D.C., reports of scorching firestorms, radiation, fallout shelters, panic spreading from coast to coast, etc. Things too horrible to contemplate, now unfold. No more atmosphere of harmony and civility in the Senate! The love and respect Ted Kennedy had for George Bush -- vaporized! If you think this couldn't happen, then you don't know how close we came and why saving the judicial filibuster became the most urgent issue confronting the human race, according to Newsweek. If you think press photos of a raping, torturing, butchering, gassing, human-shredder-using murderous tyrant wearing Fruit of the Loom got Howard Dean up in arms, imagine if the filibuster got flushed down the toilet. Desecrating Saddam ain't nothing compared to that.

During the Cold War, liberals chanted, 'Better Red than Dead', but until Monday it was Better Dead than sending Priscilla Owen to the Court of Appeals. So, this is what it's come to -- libbies arguing that putting a Sunday school teacher on a court in New Orleans means unbridled tyranny in America, then agreeing to it as part of a deal to get Republicans to scrap their nuclear program. With the showdown averted, no need to stock up on canned goods or rig up a fallout shelter. Ditto traffic jams, empty shelves, long lines at the check out counter, and liberals spending all their food stamps at once. Now libbies chant, 'Better Red State Judge (Priscilla Owen) than Dead!' Priscilla Owen was a "threat" to the republic until Monday night, but 'The Deal' helped her turn a new leaf, so now she's perfectly qualified to get a vote. Same goes for Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor -- all turned a new leaf, too.

Except for Henry Saad and William Myers. Myers and Saad weren't as "unacceptable" as the really "unacceptable" Owen, Brown, and Pryor, so Saad and Myers aren't getting a vote and Owen, Brown and Pryor are. Which made the whole thing sound like a 4-year high-profile hostage ordeal. We'll let three hostages go, in return we keep our "right" to take others hostage. Deal? Liberals demand lawyers and full Geneva protections for detainees, but no lawyers or Geneva protections for Myers and Saad! The two-page Deal says Democrats can mount a filibuster "under extraordinary circumstances," which means a conservative in Washington getting named to the bench. Which means The Deal courageously postponed the inevitable -- nuking judicial filibusters.

The Deal is the product of 14 "moderates," all eagerly seeking to 'preserve' a 'long-standing, venerated Senate tradition' going back to 2003. A "moderate" in Washington is someone who sees Bush win re-election and Bush's party gain seats in the House and Senate and concludes from all this that the voters want Bush to accept defeat and implement the Democrat agenda. Bush should 'consult' with Harry Reid "prior to submitting a judicial nomination to the Senate for consideration," urged the 14 'moderates' in their memorandum of misunderstanding.

'Moderates' are people who see a problem and say, 'How can we make it worse?'

And were you following developments on TV Monday night? Downright amusing. At one point, Fox News showed Sen. John McCain, announcing the deal in a presser. Soon it's Sen. Robert Byrd's turn at the mike, though at first I hardly recognized him -- he looked so different without the sheets. Byrd, with fresh memories of Benjamin Franklin, recounted how Franklin "was approached by a lady who said, 'Dr. Franklin, what have you given us?' And he said, 'A Republic, if you can keep it.'" (Betcha never heard that one before.)

Before the deal Monday night, Byrd spent weeks on the Senate floor delivering stirring speeches on the Cloture Motion, noting how it's provided for under Clause II(m)(2)(A) of Roman Senate Rule XXXII, which stipulates all the amendments to Rule XXXI. The Racial Healer insisted until Monday that allowing a vote on a black woman and sharecropper's daughter -- Justice Janice Rogers Brown -- would mean an end to constitutional Checks and Balances. In other words, the Democrat Party and the Republican Party are separate branches of government in Byrdworld, and allowing votes on judicial nominees would upset the balance of power between these two branches. Senate rules say you can't filibuster budgets, BRAC, CAFTA, war powers resolutions, etc., but add judicial filibusters to that list and Byrd gets his under-sheets in a twist. But, in fairness, keep in mind the nominee is black, and Byrd hasn't fully recovered from the shock of freed slaves.

Other than keeping blacks and Hispanics off the courts, what's the filibuster for, anyway? It's the way one side delays a vote to get the other side to compromise -- keep modifying legislation until a deal can be reached. Now try applying that to judicial nominees. If Democrats complain that a nominee is 'too far right', amputating the nominee's right arm and leg probably won't mollify them much (although you might get Byrd to vote for a black judge after lots of skin bleaching).

Like I said recently, liberals have trouble with basic civics, so lets try this slowly. Legislative filibusters -- that's internal Senate business, a proper prerogative of the Senate. Judicial filibusters -- that's monkeying around with Executive Branch business, violating the Separation of Powers principle. Same goes for other Executive nominations, say, a John Bolton (typical liberal at this point interrupts, sighing, 'You had me and then you lost me').

So, lemme get this straight. Fourteen towering 'Moderates', in the grand tradition of 'Moderates', agree to postpone making a decision. This is called a 'historic achievement'. Owens, Brown, and Pryor do get a vote, which would imply liberals now accept the principle that conservatives are qualified to serve on the bench -- even blacks and women! But we know liberals don't. Which is why I give this 'Deal' a few weeks. Then it unravels. It unravels at precisely the moment Bush names Janice Rogers Brown or Priscilla Owen to the Supreme Court. Then we're right back where we were before The Deal. See how much Moderates always accomplish? These are the people who make things not happen.

Soon, Sen. Frist brings back the "Nuclear Option," because when there's a problem, you nuke it.

Anyway that's...

My two cents

03-29-05 ~ Hall of Fame #11

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 05-23-05 Military Monday 05-24-05 Still Fontastic! 05-25-05 Doggie Tails ~ River Rendezvous

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

[Aeronaut]

Hi Aeronaut. Mr. D. passed his writtin yesterday. Takes his check ride any day.

Please pass on my best wishes for a successful ride. (How's yours coming?)

[dutchess]

(How's yours coming?)

Pretty close to solo. Did 10 touch and go's Sat. with instructor never touching the stick but I'm still not comfortable with the final touchdown/flair. I did it...but enjoy the "comfort" of an instructor sitting next to me :o) Another lesson Saturday!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Great graphics!

[LadyX]

**LadyX pauses at the threshold of The Finest Family Room --
straightens up to her full 5' 4 ' height --
clears throat, trying desperately to stifle the laughs and guffaws always evoked by JH2's Essays..:))**

All bettah now, I do believe, Dear John, addressing first this:

The Deal is the product of 14 "moderates," all eagerly seeking to 'preserve' a 'long-standing, venerated Senate tradition' -- interprets as:

"all eagerly seeking to 'preserve' a 'long-standing, venerated Senate tradition'
of trying to cinch their chances for reelection,
and a firm place in history footnotes"....
[AKA known as "Inserting-Foot-in-Mouth"].....

Call it
"A Lesson on How to be Ignominious without Really Trying"
[ignominy = shameful or dishonorable quality or conduct or an instance of this)]

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

Presenting a Byrd's Eye View --

Next is "Which is why I give this 'Deal' a few weeks. Then it unravels. It unravels at precisely the moment Bush names Janice Rogers Brown or Priscilla Owen to the Supreme Court. Then we're right back where we were before The Deal. See how much Moderates always accomplish? These are the people who make things not happen."

"Soon, Sen. Frist brings back the "Nuclear Option," because when there's a problem, you nuke it."

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +

It just so happens, JH, my weekly 'Dear Maggie' letter from Senator Bill Frist contains these encouraging sentences:

"The Constitution gives the Senate the power to govern itself. And we were fully committed to use that power to establish a process by which a confirmation vote would occur after reasonable debate. This approach had a lot of precedent. The minority attempted to demean it by calling it the nuclear option. But the nuclear option is what they themselves detonated with their filibuster power grab. The proper term for our response is Constitutional option, because we would rely on the Constitution's power of self-governance to restore Senate traditions barring judicial filibusters.

Against their nuclear option, the Constitutional option is the only effective antidote.

The moment of truth was to have come on May 24. But action was preempted by an agreement between seven Republicans and seven Democrats to forestall use of the Constitutional option in exchange for confirmation votes on several nominees and a promise that filibusters would only be maintained in extraordinary circumstances. I was not a party to that agreement nor was the Republican Leadership.

Now we move into a new and uncertain phase. Under the agreement, this week the Senate confirmed Priscilla Owen to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Several more of the nominees will follow her. Priscilla Owen, a gentle lady, accomplished lawyer and brilliant Texas jurist was unconscionably denied an up or down vote for more than four years. The minority distorted her record, cast aspersions on her abilities, and rendered her almost unrecognizable. She had the fortitude to see the process through. And very late, but at long last, she was confirmed.

Without the Constitutional option, Priscilla Owen would never have come to a vote. Neither would any of the other nominees.

Without the Constitutional option, judicial filibusters would have become a standard instrument of minority party policy. The agreement is based on the trust that casual use of judicial filibusters is over.

Without the Constitutional option, the minority would have adhered to the path it was on and deal brokers would have had no deal to broker.

I am now hopeful but wary. As Ronald Reagan was fond to say, trust but verify. If nominees are confirmed and the sword of the filibuster is sheathed, then the Republican Leadership can be proud that its courage arrested a dangerous and destructive trend. If filibusters again erupt under circumstances other than extraordinary, we will put the Constitutional option back on the table and move to implement it.

-- [LadyX says HOORAY!!]

Abraham Lincoln once said that when it is not possible to do the best, it is best to do what is possible. Standing fast for the principle of fair up or down votes, we have made real progress. That is something we all can celebrate. And that principle will be our guidepost as the rest of this great Constitutional drama unfolds."

Bill Frist

===========================================

Indeed, that is something we all can celebrate!!

**LadyX sidles out the door to go play in her yard some more -- waving to you** and

[Darksheare]

Hi!

LOL!

[Lakeside]

Hi, Lady. Hasn't the weather been FINE for playing in the yard? Or in my case, swinging on the porch swing? I'm lovin' this cool spring weather. So are my flowers. Take care...(((hugs to ya)))

[LadyX]

Stopping back by after putting some 'sto' bought' plants in pot containers, in front of the screened in porch at the end of the driveway.

Also checked the zinnia seeds I planted in the front beds 3 days ago - already springing forth, eager to get going!!

Fail Proof, they are --

Heck, I even put in the oven some pork spareribs with a rub to have fer din-din..:))

Gettin' better with older age, by golly!

Woman's work is never done--sigh...

[Kitty Mittens]

John and Dutchess, everything was Excellent!

Lady Maggie, your Post was Great, too!

[FreeTheHostages]

Yes, and today's a special day. Another exploding manhole cover day here in DC!

Our local government views this explosion near the World Bank as "ordinary."

[FreeTheHostages]

Video of today's manhole cover explosion in downtown DC is here.

[dutchess]

WOW...GREAT dear john letter maggie AND your Byrd cartoon is RIGHT ON! Glad to hear your getting some gardening done. That's my goal later today! ((((maggie)))))

[Billie]

You two did it again! Nailed it! (where's that gif, Diver?) :)

Good stuff - nothing new there though. :)Thank you both - Thursdays are never dull 'round here!

[dutchess]

Good afternoon darks...Good to see you as always!

[dutchess]

Swinging on the porch swing...now that sound really nice!

[dutchess]

Thanks Kitty. John is always fun to do...he nails the libs every time!

[dutchess]

Yes, and today's a special day. Another exploding manhole cover day here in DC!

Yikes...is this a common occurance????

[dutchess]

Thanks sistah billie. John's essays are always so right on. And thanks so much for the "hostage" graphic. I can't believe how quickly you put it together. It's definately a keeper!

((((billie))))) (((((john)))))

[FreeTheHostages]

Common, yes, ordinary, no. PEPCO does this coverup saying this or that explosion is just an "ordinary one" and the sheeples of DC believe this.

[Diver Dave]

(where's that gif, Diver?) :)

Comin' right up...

Great Job once again in nailing the truth.

[Billie]

And thanks so much for the "hostage" graphic. I can't believe how quickly you put it together. It's definately a keeper!

It really didn't take long because I found their pics so quickly! I did try to find the original China hostages picture in a larger size, and found one just a little bit larger than the one you sent, and then enlarged it bit more before cutting and pasting their heads on. It was still small, but I noticed that you posted it a little larger than it actually is, which made a better showing for the center than the smaller size. :)