Lindsay Graham says he has the votes, I hope so!
"Washington Post Headlines My May 24th Article This Morning
"On May 24th, I wrote “We “Nuked” Them “. This morning’s Washington Post headline for their lead article announces “Filibuster Deal Puts the Democrats in a Bind”. They are almost identical articles except when I went to my blog I couldn’t find that I published the article I wrote.
"I can only guess I flinched when everyone jumped on the gang of 7 Republicans and 7 Democrats so hard that all reason left the argument and I decided to abandon my take. In retrospect we deride the 14 Senators for trying to avoid the nuclear option when replacing the 1 person who has been legislating from the bench with her 5 in the 5-4 decisions for over a decade. On May 24th., I applauded the 14 for many reasons. Apparently more than a month later, the Washington Post figured it out for themselves.
We "Nuked" Them
Dick McDonald
5/24/05
"Democrats just fell on their sword. They just let the three most likely judges to overturn Roe V. Wade be elected to the bench. Republicans and Democrats are both complaining about a sell-out. Republican complainers just don't know what a seminal event this is. For 214 years, the Senate never filibustered a judicial nominee, thus conferring on the President a power he really never had.
"Although just a Senate rule, the filibuster enables a minority party to overcome "majority rule". It has seldom been used, but its threat has been a recurring event in the Senate. Then Democrats, broke with tradition, and used it last session.
"For those 214 years, democracy ruled. A mere majority of the Senators could affirm a nominee. A definite power vested in the executive branch. But we are NOT a democracy, we are a republic and our founders created the Senate to insure that difference was permanent. Following that reasoning, Democrats tried to filibuster, and require a 60-vote margin.
"They lost. And democracy won.
"But the fact remains we aren't a democracy and both the filibuster and the nuclear option remain intact. The Democrats merely decided to give it up, rather than fight a battle they would lose. The nuclear option still trumps the filibuster as the Constitution only calls for "advise and consent" not the imposition of a rule to protect the republic.
"This agreement is the KY Jelly for nominees that are conservative. Being conservative is no longer a reason for rejection (thanks Lindsay Graham). The balance of power still rests with the President, a power Republicans have always honored. Although Bill Frist is being pummeled, I congratulate his timing and resolve to be brave and bring this issue to a conclusion. He forced a vote, the Dems threw up on the floor, and we won the war.
"This is a win-win for him and the Republicans and a muzzle on the screeching from the left. I have grown exceedingly tired of listening to Kennedy and Biden and their delusional, irrational, unfounded, leftist ravings.
"As the old TV show hero intoned, "I just love it when a plan comes together". The public relations nightmare Democrats face in opposing Bush's "conservative” nominee is just delicious. They can't win. They're trapped. Enjoy their pain, it should be entertaining.The Post article is just the first of their epiphanies."