Is America ready for an Ideological, Fillibusterin', Nuclear Option Fight?

[bj2110]

Cuz that's where the next nomination is heading. Bush will nominate a radical right justice. No way he pisses them off again. Miers was either his attempt to get an appointment, or his attempt to rally the right. Or maybe it was just cronyism. Doesn't really matter.

Brownback and Santorum and McConnell, and all the other Republican Senators will come out in favor of the nominee from Day 1. The christian conservatives will thank the lord, the corporate interests will give money, the Republican party will be united.

Likewise, the Democratic party will be united (or at least I hope). The nominee will get fillibustered. Justice Sunday III & IV are held. The hearings will drag on. Senate committees will be formed. The '06 elections will a conservative vs. liberal, ideological fight.

Are we ready? Are the Dems ready? Is America ready?

Cuz that's where its heading.

Mark my words.

[ck4829]

1. If Bush had a brain, he'd forsake the Far Right

[bj2110]

12. Too bad his brain's about to be indicted tomorrow... :)

[DURHAM D]

2. The movement conservatives want a Senate fight over the

Supreme Court. They don't care if they win or lose - they just want a fight. They think it is the only way they can keep the House in the mid-terms - the strategy is to energize their base.

What to do if you are a Senate Dem ???

[elsiesummers]

10. Use this to point out Republicans have been taken over by extremists.

Democrats already swore they would only fillibuster in extreme circumstances. We know Dems will be chastized for fillibustering. The only defence, according to the agreement of the 14, is that Republicans created extreme circumstances, where the radical right of their party threw a tantrum resulting in an extremist nominee to replace a moderate judge, a nominee who was not the president's first choice.

Democrats need to clearly demonstrate the next nominee is out of the mainstream. The Radical Right Republicans hold all the levers of power so they believe they can do anything they want - because they are unchecked - which is why you have campaign corruption with Delay/Abramoff, fiscal irresponsibility and crony capitalism (incompetancy) and religious extremism preventing the research of medical cures that could help our aging population.

The president has never vetoed a bill, ever, because all the bills come from his party. There is no spending bill that he hasn't signed. He's the credit card with a credit card Congress - bankrupting our nation. There is no watchdog in this government because of one party rule. The key to stopping the madness is to elect Democrats - as many as possible everywhere - to divide the government and prevent Republican extremists from looting your taxpayer dollars for crony pork projects and to prevent them from imposing the views of the Radical Right on regular people by stacking the court.

This is not your father's Republican party and the only way to stop the extremism and corruption is to send the Republicans a message that they need to reform before they get your vote. No more corruption or radical rightism. No more fiscal irresponsibility or endless spending of your tax dollars. China is financing our deficit and Republicans do not want to be in hock to China! Stop the corrupt and out of control Republican Government now by sending them a message that divided government doesn't overreach.

The best thing a good mainstream Republican can do to reform his/her party is to vote Democrat in 2006!

[DURHAM D]

11. Good comments - I hope the message minders for the

Senate Dems are reading DU.

[bj2110]

13. I agree. The radical right wants a fight. And they want this fight to last

until the '06 elections. We're in for a senate battle like we've never seen before imo.

[cally]

3. This will work in the Dems favor

It will be a Schiavo redux and highlight the whackos who control the DC Repub. party. Most Americans are moderate and don't want extremists on the court. With a weakened Repub party being questioned by the press, the Dems will be seen as a voice of reason and moderation. The key for Dems is to not let this be framed as a fight solely over abortion. Instead, make it a debate about protection for individual liberties and the need for centrists on the court.

[tk2kewl]

6. I agree.

I wouldn't be too sure that we'll see a wingnut nominee, though. Repuke leaders are savy enough to know that what would go down would damage their party.

I'd like to see bush try though :evilgrin:

[bj2110]

14. Yes, most Americans are moderate. But, most Republican Senators

are not influenced by the public. They will fight. The Schiavo thing didn't hurt the party. Justice Sunday didn't hurt the party. Pat Robertson didn't hurt the party. The radical right is the the real influence here, and Miers stepping down just confirms it. The Dems and moderate America have to fight them. And it will come to a head with this nomination. I do think that Miers stepping down puts the Dems in a good spot. Reid knew what he was doing by endorsing her. It is 100% clear that the right blocked this nomination, not the left.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

4. Never say never.

Bush is weaker than ever. I don't know if HE is ready for that kind of a fight.

I can nearly guarantee we're in for Roberts Part Deux. Qualified, but with no paper trail.

[tk2kewl]

5. I am not convinced that he will nominate a wingnut.

In his weakened state, I expect that a powerful "moderate" coalition of repukes will try to dissuade him because they know that it will be a damaging fight for their party.

However, if bush nominates a wingnut, I believe it will offer a tremendous opportunity for Democrats.

Democrats must filibuster. I think if it is done constructively it will be supported by the public given bush's dismal record for being truthful and his rock-bottom approval figures.

Democrats MUST NOT break ranks in this fight. A filibuster can and should be used (if the nominee is a wingnut), not only to stop the nomination, but to start laying the groundwork for the 06 platform.

A filibuster is just running out the clock by giving speeches. There is a whole lot that the Dems need to tell the american people about what the pukes have been doing to them and how we'd do it differently, and with unlimited debate we can and should use the time to build a populist message for the party.

[Leopolds Ghost]

16. Hear, hear n/t

[longship]

7. Indeed.

This is precisely the scenerio I would expect. If the Dems are up to it they should invoke the fillibuster. If Crashcart and Frist invoke the nuclear option, Dems should respond with their own nuclear option, the end of governing by consent in the Senate.

Senate Dems need to understand that the Repugs are never going to work for the health of the republic. They need to stiffen their backbones and steel themselves for what can only be termed the fight of total power versus democratic governance.

[Marr]

8. The Dems will *have* to fight it. If they don't,

they're just paving the road to victory for a McCain-type of Republican.

[LSdemocrat]

9. The real question is: is Bush ready for a fight at this point?

[bj2110]

15. Not with Rove gone. Not with Libby gone. Not with Cheney crippled and

distracted. But, the party will rally around him with an extremist nomination. It's what the conservative movement has been wanting for years. Bush has his soldiers, and they will fight the political war for him with the right nomination. Which is why I think the next nominee will be an ultra-conservative. Not Gonzales. Probably one of the two women we've been hearing about...