Senate moderates forming power center

[dutchdemocrat]

Senate moderates forming power center
Deal on nominees could spur change
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | May 23, 2005

WASHINGTON -- With Democratic and Republican leaders locked in a fierce battle over judges, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers has begun to form a new power center in the Senate, with implications that could extend far beyond the current debate.

The group of about 15 senators has been quietly forging a compromise even as their more partisan colleagues bludgeon each other daily on the Senate floor. They comprise at least six members of each party, the current margin of power in the Senate, and thus could decide any vote that falls along party lines. Close Senate observers say the coalition's work could shift power from the majority and minority leaders and revitalize the political middle, with moderates who have found themselves out of the mainstream of their own parties enjoying heightened influence on major legislation.

If they are able to work productively together on other issues, their influence could expand, with the docket including such contentious issues as Social Security, stem cell research, reauthorization of the Patriot Act, and John Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations.

''Any time you have a middle that is willing to vote with either side -- that will look at cross pressures as well as partisan pressures -- you have power there," said Mark Hurwitz, a political science professor at the State University of New York at Buffalo. ''It says a lot about what the Senate is going through, with its increased polarization, that this group has formed."

The Senate has been locked all year in a battle of wills between majority leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, and minority leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat. Frist has been pushing a conservative agenda spearheaded largely by the White House and House of Representatives, while Reid pressures his fellow Democrats to present a unified opposition that Republicans call obstructionist.

<SNIP>

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/23/senate_moderates_forming_power_center/

[Obviousman]

1. let me guess

lieberman,nelson, nelson,salazaar, who are the other 2?

[arcos]

2. Byrd, Landrieu, Lieberman, Conrad, Salazar and Pryor...

"The Democrats include the longest-serving senator, Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, and one of the newest, freshman Ken Salazar of Colorado. They are joined by Democratic centrists, such as Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, Kent Conrad of North Dakota, Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, and Mark Pryor of Arkansas."

[Selatius]

4. Well, the DLC does claim to be centrist

It's just that the center in the US is between the far right and the true middle. By "middle," I mean the point that is exactly between, on one end, pure socialism and, on the other, pure capitalism.

[siliconefreak]

3. I was JUST thinking about this today

The "moderates" have an excellent chance this week to look like great leaders. I'm almost positive that McCain has this in mind. He probably will run for President again, and I sincerely think that he would love to have the support of all of the people, not just the right-wing nutjobs who worship The Chimp. This is an opportunity for him to show that he's not a partisan.

[BR_Parkway]

22. And McCain knocks Fristy out of the running by exposing him for the

wing nut that he is. He's reading the polls, knows that the general public was against the Shiavo BS, against the restrictions on stem cell research, against the grab for power. So he makes Frist look like a power hungry tool of Dobson (hmmm, not far off that mark), re-captures the true conservatives who are not happy about the direction of the party, appeals to some of the moderate Dems who want to see an end to all this partisan split. He doesn't need the Dobson/Falwell crowd

[Blaze Diem]

5. A third party emerges...

Government in moderation.
Is Senator Fristula crapping his pants over this?

Greater Minds think alike..may they prevail..

[saracat]

6. These are NOT moderates.

With the exception of Byrd, who isn't always wonderful, this is a group of repugs and repug lites.Most are reug ass kissers like Landriu and Lieberman. Screw tham.A compromise ahieves nothing. What good is a filibuster if we can't use it?

[Fridays Child]

8. I agree with you in the main but a compromise on filibusters will achieve

one very important thing: it will show Frist for the pompous blowhard buttboy of Bush that he is. And if he has any presidential ambitions, exposing him is a good thing.

[saracat]

10. Just attempting it has done that, if anyone cares

and I'm not certain most do. A compromise will only help the Repukes. It would be better to risk getting the votes ourselves and beating Frist squarely. Otherwise the compromise does nothing for us!

[Warren Stupidity]

19. yeah

'cause the lobotomized republican voters will just rise up in disgust in such large numbers that all the cheating in the world won't fix the next election.

[merwin]

13. Isn't that the defination of a moderate? Sometimes repub-lite, sometimes

dem-lite?

[Warren Stupidity]

18. used to be.

Nowadays it seems to be: democrats who sometimes vote with republicans. There are no republicans who sometimes vote with democrats.

[Dogmudgeon]

7. For those who hate the DLC

They (the moderates in question) are still pulling the political center leftward.

That's why I'm not too critical of the not-left-enough left. If they want to do the heavy lifting for us, that's just fine with me.

--p!

[saracat]

11. I think not. They are merely repuke lite!

[Dogmudgeon]

12. That would still be an improvement

The Legislative Branch is dominated by the hard right. Anything that dilutes or reduces their power is a positive move.

--p!

[Warren Stupidity]

17. It won't dilute squat.

The 'compromise' will cede rule changes and radical judges to the fascists. The fillibuster will remain intact on paper but unusable. The SC vacancy will come up and whatever compromise was laid out it will be immediately scrapped. Oh, no fooled again.

[TaleWgnDg]

9. I'll believe when I see it . . . until then . . .

.
I'll believe when I see it . . . until then . . .







.

[xchrom]

14. why? the bankruptcy legislation was bipartison.

i'm soo excited -- i can't wait.:eyes:

[Justice]

15. Senate moderates forming power center

Bet Frist is not ready for this development!

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/05/23/senate_moderates_forming_power_center?mode=PF

"The group of about 15 senators has been quietly forging a compromise even as their more partisan colleagues bludgeon each other daily on the Senate floor. They comprise at least six members of each party, the current margin of power in the Senate, and thus could decide any vote that falls along party lines.

Close Senate observers say the coalition's work could shift power from the majority and minority leaders and revitalize the political middle, with moderates who have found themselves out of the mainstream of their own parties enjoying heightened influence on major legislation.

If they are able to work productively together on other issues, their influence could expand, with the docket including such contentious issues as Social Security, stem cell research, reauthorization of the Patriot Act, and John Bolton's nomination to be ambassador to the United Nations."

[Warren Stupidity]

16. There is no 'compromise' with fanatics.

Well intention Democratic idiots will once again damage the party and confuse the public by trying to play nice with these folks. They don't play nice. If they can't win with the rules as they are, they change the rules. If they can't win without cheating, they cheat. Get a friggin clue.

They are compromising about how badly they will get screwed.

[hippiechick]

20. Divide and Conquer

... that's what the Pugs have been doing to the left/liberal/ progressives for the past 30 years ... it's only fair that they too have their chance to self-immolate.

Let the far fringe winger whackjobs like Lott, Frist, and Delay twist alone in the wind.

Isolate
Isolate
Isolate.

Who cares "why" ? :shrug:

[MAlibdem]

21. never last

they only have power for as long as they are able to be elected.

If they try to exert power independent of party leadership, they will not receive campaign support from the parties, and lose to challengers (or primary challenges).

[Strawman]

23. Marriage of convenience at best

To preserve their own power and influence. Frist is going to be gone in a couple years, so he doesn't mind doing Karl Rove's bidding, but alot of these other people plan on staying in the Senate, and they want to keep their power. If the Senate is merely a rubber stamp of the party leadership, they don't matter. They may come together long enough to keep the Senate the way it is, but that's probably about it.