"NOW Asks: Senate Nuclear Option Deal—

[CWebster]

—Victimized or Compromised?"

"...A compromise by some middle-roaders in both parties preserved the filibuster for another day, another fight, but perhaps at too high a cost. In the so-called compromise, seven Republican senators agreed not to vote for the "nuclear option" to ban the filibuster, and seven Democratic senators agreed not to use the filibuster against three of the Bush's most extreme nominees, and henceforth only in extraordinary cases. Here's the rub: the filibuster was only being used in extraordinary cases anyway — only 10 of more than 200 nominees so far."




http://www.commondreams.org/news2005/0524-15.htm

[ananda]

1. finally..

.. reality.

Sue

[Dhalgren]

2. And that is the main point being made by all of those

"Negacrats" on the boards yesterday. Each one of us who thought that the "deal" was a bad thing, saw it as a sellout for very little gain. I have a feeling that those 7 "centrist" Democrats will never support a filibuster again, and will use this "deal" as the excuse for not doing so. "Extraordinary circumstances"? You bet...

[bryant69]

3. What's the best answer

The best answer is for Democrats to have the Majority in the Senate and the White House. There are probably plenty in those 200 judges who did get their seats who don't belong on the bench.

Was the compromise a good thing? No it was crap - we shouldn't have to compromise with these punks. They should be regulated to a small minority of congress in favor of people who will actaully do the right thing.

But was the compromise better than our other options given the situation as it stands now? That's a tactical question. I think it was; you think that we'd be better off fighting (and probably losing) right now.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[MadHound]

4. Geez, stop believing that BS

Don't you get it? Frist was bluffing, why do you think that he put off pulling the nuke option for over a week? Why to let the deal go down, of course.

Look, we had McCain, Snowe, and Chaffee in the bag, they had already come out stating they would vote against the nuke option. Warner and Collins were both headed our way, and Spectre, Graham and Coleman were, despite their pious Republican mouthings, making some serious noise about voting against the nuke option. And there were probably others with cool heads who would have voted against the nuke option. We had the votes. Frist knew this, and while he kept loudly rattling his saber, he was also waiting for a deal to be done. The Dems panicked, and gave away the farm. Again.

Once, just once in this term I would like to see the Dems stand up on their hind legs and fight. Sad to say, it doesn't look like that's going to happen.

[Dhalgren]

5. The problem is that the Democrats have lost the filibuster

without the Republicans having to face the bad press. The 7 "centrist" Democrats will use this agreement as an excuse to never support another filibuster. Bush and Frist won, without having to fire a shot. If the Democrats have lost the filibuster, it would have been preferable to have lost it fighting - at least you'd have that to point to...

[CWebster]

6. You make a good point

Democrats are so complicit in so many Republican ambitions--they are ultimately trapped by their own willingness to play along.