I want to know if anyone else has heard this.

[mmonk]

I heard on the radio this morning that Reid said the dems would not filibuster any of bush's supreme court nominees. Has anyone else heard this? This may determine if I remain a Democrat or look elsewhere for someone willing to stand up.

[Vickers]

1. I think he's letting the Republican party torpedo their own nominees

for a while.

[napi21]

2. I have not heard that, and I doubt he'd say that at this point.

[splat@14]

3. I did too. Heard it on NPR on the way to the office.

They were reporting about breakfast with 4 senators and Bush to discuss the upcoming SC nomination(s). Reid and Frist for sure, and can't remember the other two. Thought it strange they could rule out the filibuster without knowing who's being nominated.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

9. I heard Reid and Patrick Leahy D-ME are the Dems n/t

[MaineDem]

13. Thank you for giving Maine a Democratic Senator but...

Leahy is from another New England state - Vermont. :)

I'd much prefer him to either of our "moderate" lady Senators.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

14. You are right. So sorry. I am in Texas now, so be thankful you

are not here where everyone (except Molly Ivins) kisses the ground Cuckoo Bananas walks on.

[kwolf68]

17. Texas

Also has Jim Hightower, Dan Rather, and Bill Moyers.

I know Texas Dems are few and far between, but Texas Dems (at least the rank and file) are ass kickers. They gotta be tough to put up with the crap that goes on down there.

[supernova]

4. I heard it to on NPR

There was no direct quote, the host reported he said it.

I don't know what this means overall. Perhaps that they are offering a trade to the WH: we'll approve a SCJ if you fire Karl Rove. :shrug:

[elehhhhna]

10. SCREW THAT DEAL! There's enough goddam horse-trading

going on on CapHill . Rove-jail (or noose). USCC Nominees who are wack-jobs-BORKED.

[supernova]

15. I didn't say I supported that

I mere put forth one option, distasteful as it is.

[OneBlueSky]

5. he probably knows full well that the Republicans . . .

would simply invoke the nuclear option if the Dems tried a filibuster . . . they caved on this threat last time, so he's just doing it preemptively this time . . . what a guy! . ..

[TayTay]

6. It's strategy, nothing to worry about, yet.

The Rethugs have gone out of their way to say that the Dems are Blue Meanies and will do anything to torpedo that nice Mr. *'s nominees before they even see who they are. The Rethug spin machine is trying to portray Dems as uncooperative and incapable of having civil discussions on the nominees merits. (The Blue Meanies are ideologues and so bitterly partisan that they should be locked up, that's the spin.)

Sen. Reid is countering that spin by calmly and evenly saying, "What us? We are the sweetest, most even-tempered bunch you ever saw. Why we plan on having the * nominees over for tea and cookies. Why, I can't imagine opposing these nominees. Well, unless, sadly, the * people just force our hands. Then, with great reluctance and sadness we would be forced to oppose them. Let us pray that the Repub don't force us to do this, for the sake of the American people."

Strategy. We are not really the Blue Meanies, but that's what they want to portray us as.

[mmonk]

7. Somehow, that doesn't comfort me

[TayTay]

11. No nominee yet, so no reason to declare war yet, overtly

But then listen to what Schumer has said behind the scenes. (Schumer said that the Dems will go to war on this.)

There is no nominee yet. No reason to waste ammo when there is no target. Conserve the anger and bring it out when needed. Pretty standard stuff. And this doesn't play into the Rethug theme of 'all obstructionist, all the time' that they have carved out for the Dems.

It is not yet time to bring out the guns. Have patience.

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

12. If unilateral disarmament is our "strategy," we need NEW STRATEGISTS!

[TayTay]

16. It's not

This is a strategy. There is no nominee yet. Reid is placing a bet that the Rethugs want him (and the whole of the Blue MEanies) to come out foaming at the mouth over the principle of * nominating someone so they can bounce it all around the RW echo chamber.

Reid is not playing their game. I think this is smart. He has NOT taken the filibuster off the table. He is, instead, laying the groundwork for the Dems using it and justifying it as the only sane answer to an insane nominee. (Reid is denying the Echo Chamber a sound bite.)

[WhoWantsToBeOccupied]

19. THAT sounds smart. Thanks for the clarification!

[Totally Committed]

8. From the NYT:

Democratic Leader Discounts a Filibuster
By CARL HULSE
Published: July 12, 2005

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON, July 11 - Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the Democratic leader, said Monday that he did not foresee a filibuster against President Bush's choice for the Supreme Court, but warned that Democrats would not hesitate to slow the confirmation if they found the process or the nominee objectionable.
"I don't anticipate a filibuster, but I am not going to shy away from making sure that we have adequate time to explain our position," Mr. Reid said as Senate leaders from both parties prepared to meet with Mr. Bush on Tuesday morning to discuss the vacancy.

Mr. Reid also said Democrats would try to cooperate in complying with the president's request that the seat being vacated by Justice Sandra Day O'Connor be filled by Oct. 1. But he pointed out that Justice O'Connor has agreed to remain on the court until her replacement is confirmed and that only six justices are needed for a quorum.

Mr. Reid's comments to reporters were part of the political maneuvering over the vacancy that accelerated as Congress returned from its Fourth of July recess, bringing lawmakers together for the first time since Justice O'Connor announced her intention to retire.
At the White House, Scott McClellan, Mr. Bush's spokesman, portrayed Tuesday's breakfast meeting between the president and four Senate leaders as just one aspect of the administration's efforts to seek the thoughts of most senators both before and after a nomination is made.

>snip<

In addition to Mr. Reid, those scheduled to attend the White House meeting are Senator Bill Frist of Tennessee, the Republican leader; Senator Arlen Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican and chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the senior Democrat on the committee. Mr. Frist said he intended to use the session to "urge my Democratic colleagues to keep overzealous outside interest groups at bay and not allow them to turn this nomination process into a circus."

Entire article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/12/politics/politicsspecial1/12senate.html?

----

It's articles like this, and decisions on the part of the Democratic Party "leadersip" that come in and stomp out every spark of hope I have in my heart that we will ever be the Party in power again.

Appease. Collude. Cooperate. Knuckle under. Cringe in the corner begging not to get hurt. --- That's all I see our "leadership" doing. They don't give a rat's ass about us and our representation. I could not care less if this is a "tactic" -- IT SUCKS!

Goddammit!

TC

[Clark2008]

18. Maybe Fred Thompson *IS* the nominee.

He's the best we can hope for with a Republican president and congress, imho.

Thompson is a paelo-conservative and voted against impeaching Clinton. And, I've never known him to let his position on abortion guide him - that never was one of his big talking points. He was pretty much a social liberal on a lot of issues.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'd rather have a Dem be able to nominate someone, but, with this regime, Thompson is the best choice.

[Humor_In_Cuneiform]

20. He doesn't expect to need to

filibuster. W has agreed to act according to the "advice and consent" Constitutional option. Assuming it plays out like that he doesn't expect to need to, I guess.

I listened to his conference call today, and if a very unacceptable nominee comes forth, they will indeed do everything they can to stop approval.

So Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid asked that we all write to our Senators, newspapers, blogs etc to encourage the selection of a "moderate" conservative.

You know, not one of the rightwingnuts. Has to be a much better way to say that.