Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - GOP on the brink of losing on the nuclear option

Tophat665 · 03-23-2005, 08:27 PM

What the suffering f*ck does Terri Schaivo have to do with fillibuster rule?

No, don't answer that. I don't honestly care what today's talking points are.

I am stunned, amazed, shocked, and awed that John Warner might, possibly, be reverting to the kind of sensible guy he was when I voted for him the first time I ever voted. Won't get him my vote this time, but it sure is nice to see that the brain still ticks.

Look, nuclear is apt here. Democratic senators see (in my opinion, rightly, but leave that aside) Shrub's re-nomination of judges they already blocked as a ploy to geld them. If they let them through, then they lose some of their base on the one hand, and they will find it hard to implement many of their priorities when they come back to power. If they filibuster, things are going to get ugly in the senate like hasn't been seen since the Civil War. If they do a half assed job of it, and if they don't communicate effectively what they are doing, then they will lose even more seats (possibly to the point where this won't even come up.) If the Democrats threaten to filibuster and are balked by anything other than 60 votes, then they absolutely, positivley must, as a matter of survival, filibuster every single other thing with a Republican sponsor until the rule is changed. They cannot do otherwise and retain such tatters of credibility as they have managed to hang onto thus far.

Moderate republicans - both of them - are against this asinine idea because they know it will shut the Senate down, and they know that there really are some important things that the Senate has to do. Intelligent conservative Republicans know that, one day they will lose the whip hand, either to the Democratic party, or to whatever replaces it if it disintegrates entirely. Fundamentalist Christian Conservative Republicans, on the other hand, are following a life script that hasn't really been valid for at least a millennium, and they are letting their emotions (as opposed to their religion) rule them like petulant and ill tempered children. I'm all for spankings in those cases. And then there are those who are toeing the party line as a step in developing their power who can't really be blamed for it, but surely deserve no praise either.

I am pretty sure that Rove is looking to crush the Democratic party for a generation or more with this. Evil genius indeed.

03-23-2005, 08:27 PM	#12 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	What the suffering f*ck does Terri Schaivo have to do with fillibuster rule? No, don't answer that. I don't honestly care what today's talking points are. I am stunned, amazed, shocked, and awed that John Warner might, possibly, be reverting to the kind of sensible guy he was when I voted for him the first time I ever voted. Won't get him my vote this time, but it sure is nice to see that the brain still ticks. Look, nuclear is apt here. Democratic senators see (in my opinion, rightly, but leave that aside) Shrub's re-nomination of judges they already blocked as a ploy to geld them. If they let them through, then they lose some of their base on the one hand, and they will find it hard to implement many of their priorities when they come back to power. If they filibuster, things are going to get ugly in the senate like hasn't been seen since the Civil War. If they do a half assed job of it, and if they don't communicate effectively what they are doing, then they will lose even more seats (possibly to the point where this won't even come up.) If the Democrats threaten to filibuster and are balked by anything other than 60 votes, then they absolutely, positivley must, as a matter of survival, filibuster every single other thing with a Republican sponsor until the rule is changed. They cannot do otherwise and retain such tatters of credibility as they have managed to hang onto thus far. Moderate republicans - both of them - are against this asinine idea because they know it will shut the Senate down, and they know that there really are some important things that the Senate has to do. Intelligent conservative Republicans know that, one day they will lose the whip hand, either to the Democratic party, or to whatever replaces it if it disintegrates entirely. Fundamentalist Christian Conservative Republicans, on the other hand, are following a life script that hasn't really been valid for at least a millennium, and they are letting their emotions (as opposed to their religion) rule them like petulant and ill tempered children. I'm all for spankings in those cases. And then there are those who are toeing the party line as a step in developing their power who can't really be blamed for it, but surely deserve no praise either. I am pretty sure that Rove is looking to crush the Democratic party for a generation or more with this. Evil genius indeed. __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.