[steveegg]

It has now been several days since Miguel Estrada withdrew his nomination and I have not seen or heard any commentary on question: OK, what happens next in the Senate?

While it's barely 24 hours (the expected news was a day early), that there is the $64,000 question. I honestly don't know what's going through Bill (Lott Lite) Frist's "mind" right now, but it better not be continued surrender for the reasons you mentioned. Hell, if I wanted that, I'd be French.

[Cboldt]

My guess: While not planned or intended by Bush or others in the GOP, this sets the stage to apply more pressure for a rule change. Bush asked for a rule change, Hatch said the rule was not working, etc.

How the Senate goes about this is anybody's guess, and maybe the GOP Senators will not provide any effective action or remedy. Given the amount of attention this story is getting today, we may not even hear any good-sounding rhetoric.

A solution advocated by quite a few on FR is for the people to elect a GOP supermajority to the Senate. Obviously, that would circumvent the procedural hurdle.

BTW, I'm all for having a conservative supermajority in Congress, IF they act on their word. I'd like to see the ideals espoused on the front page of FR put into effect, yessir, I truly would.

[livius]

Yes, I'd like to hear what the plans are. Essentially, the majority party has just given over control of Congress, not simply to the minority party, but to one of it's most offensive and radical leaders. And now the majority party is limping away with a few rueful glances over its shoulder, and making whimpering noises to the press.

The Dems don't play fair and never have. This doesn't mean we have to sink to their level and play dirty, but we have to call them to account and use every legal option to defeat them.

And we have to make a big stink in the media about this. Why not buy ads highlighting this unethical, bigoted Dem behavior, and bringing it up again and again, until no Hispanic or even ethical person in his right mind would consider voting for a Dem ever again?