All Of Bush's Right-Wing Judges Will Be Approved: Another Great Victory!

[Itsthetruth]

That's the bottom line on this "deal". Not a single one of Bush's ten most reactionary and right-wing nominations will be stopped. None of them. Oh .... the Democratic deal makers also promised they would not filibuster any of Bush's appointments except in "extraordinary circumstances" For example, if a nominated judge is found guilty of rape, incest and murder Democrats will hold the line and filibuster!

Some have tried to describe this deal as a great victory because Frist said he doesn't like it (did anyone expect him to say anything different?) and because the Republicans won't have to use the "nuclear option" to get their nominations approved.

Yahoo!!!! Party time!

If all of Bush's judicial nominations will be approved by the Senate without a filibuster why in the world would Bush and the Republican Party need the "nuclear option"?

Now they don't need it. They will get ALL of their judicial nominations approved without a serious threat of filibuster. And the Republicans did it without changing Senate rules! This means they CAN and WILL filibuster Democratic judicial nominations that are not reactionary enough in the event a Democratic is elected president.

That's not a bad deal at all .... for Bush. What nicer outcome could Republcans have hoped for? A Senate shutdown in response to the "nuclear option" would have been an ugly affair. To be avoided if at all possible.

So will anyone be celebrating this "great historic victory" tonight? Not me. When someone is pissing on my head I'm not going to shout: "The drought is over, it's raining!"

[Joey Liberal]

1. I don't like the "deal" either n/t

[ClintonTyree]

2. Yep....

and there are so many here who are so relieved and happy about this "compromise". The light weights are out in force tonight.

bush still gets everything he wants and the SC is going to be so far right Roe Vs. Wade is in dire jeopardy. Isn't that funny? :rofl:

[sellitman]

3. I agree.

All those here celebrating a great victory better sober up to the reality that we really are political lawn ornaments. Nothing more nothing less. The Wackos for life (bush Judges) will make life even more unbearable than ever before. You nailed it.

[sellitman]

4. Nominated & kicked!

Unfortunately.

[still_one]

5. absolutely correct

they think they saved roe v wade, they haven't

it is better to go down on principle, then to compromise with this scum

[AuntiBush]

27. Really!

"better to go down on principle, then to compromise with scum."

Great line. Bad, bad day.

The Democracy we knew all of our lives died in the year 2000. It will never, ever be the same now for certain.

[housewolf]

6. I just don't agree with this...

One of the main features of "the deal" is for repubs and dems to consult and come to some sort of agreement as to nominatees acceptable to both sides, and a commitment to get the admin to consult too and not nominate such extremist judges.

We agreed to let 3 of the 7 go up for a vote, the other 4 are still on hold and there's no promises about them. We can still filibuster extremist nominatees, including supreme court nominees. It's good for the country and it's good for the institution of the senate.

When you look at what we stood to lose tomorrow, how is this horrible for us?

[ClintonTyree]

7. Please.....

"One of the main features of "the deal" is for repubs and dems to consult and come to some sort of agreement as to nominatees acceptable to both sides, and a commitment to get the admin to consult too and not nominate such extremist judges."

Do you actually think the Pukes are going to "consult" with us about anything? Dream on. They haven't yet and they're not about to start now.

[LightningFlash]

59. No, that is simply wrong..

Alot of republicans are now awake to how extreme their leadership has gotten to. Full debates are expected on each of the nominations, watch and you will learn. Many republicans have decided not to lockstep the party line, and that allows for actual debate instead of dictatorship.

[ClintonTyree]

81. OK.....

time will tell if I'm "simply wrong" or not. Watch and I will learn? :eyes: Either the Republican party has changed overnight or you haven't been paying attention to what's been going on in the last 4+ years. I've been watching, I've been learning. And all I've seen points to the fact that you can't trust these bastards as far as you can toss them.
Yes, let's trust bush to "advise and consent", let's trust the republicans to keep their word. :eyes: Dream on friend.

[sellitman]

16. You want to buy a bridge?

The pukes will get all 10 nominees to the floor for a vote and we loose. Simple as that. If you think they will roll over for a bunch of yellow bellied weak kneed Dem's you must be watching another channel.

[Knight of Ni]

64. Correction. You mean "all 7".

They couldn't push through all 10 because 2 already refused and 1 retired. Seven is all they could have pushed through. Remember that next time Rove claims they only renominated 7 of the original 10 as a "compromise".

Despite Owen and Brown getting a straight vote, the deal was a good thing overall because it showed the mods they have some clout, especially Republican mods. Prior to this the administration ignored the Republican mods and only used them as window dressing every 4 years.

Plus, we keep the judicial filibuster. Losing that could have damaged us MUCH worse.

[Itsthetruth]

68. Seven Plus

ALL of Bush's nominations that are submitted to the Senate will be approved by this Senate without any filibuster. It will be an "up and down vote".

Democratic Senators will be permitted to keep the filibuster option provided they don't use it except under the most extreme circumstances! For example .... if the Senate finds out a proposed judge is guilty of rape or perhaps armed robbery they might filibuster. Is that extreme enough? Perhaps not.

How did you like that vote on cloture today? Only 18 Democratic Senators voted against ending debate. The most reactionary of Bush's nominations will now pass the Senate. Wonderful.

[FreedomAngel82]

21. With people like

Liberman on our side they'll get whatever they want anyways. They have before. This was all smoke's and mirror's.

[colgate]

66. Not a good deal at all

The so-called "deal" is only good until the Repugs start feeling the pressure of the Christian Taliban once again. In the meantime, we caved spinelessly on the three most objectionable judges, and only got a couple of political hacks in limbo who might not even have gotten the votes necessary in return. And for all that, the threat of the nuclear option remains unchanged when Rhenquist resigns and Bush names some looney-toon to the court, leaving us screaming once again about "Traditions of the Senate, blah blah, blah" before Frist pulls the pin and we lose the Supreme Court and Roe v Wade. Bush 3 - Democrats 0.:puke:

[TankLV]

83. Oh sure. The repukes demand that we give them 100% of what they want

If we agree to only 95%, they'll cry and scream and rage, just like they always do.

And besides, when has the repuke party ever followed thru on any agreement with dems to keep their part of the bargain? NEVER!

I will not look forward to saying "I told you so" - again.

[DefenseLawyer]

8. I think it is really about the Supreme Court

I don't know if you have noticed, but the Circuits are all already filled with nutcases. Look at a few opinions from the 4th or the 7th, having a few more on the bench isn't a good thing, but it doesn't give the thugs the power that having just one of those kooks on the Supreme Court. If Frist had changed the rules they would be nominating the Robert Borks and John Ashcrofts and (insert craziest wingnut you can think of) of the world to the High Court. That is what was averted. If Frist actually had the votes to do that, then this deal is much better than that alternative.

[truebrit71]

9. I just don't see how this can be viewed as anything other than appeasement

..how in the world is this a victory for the Democrats? The reich-wing judges get in, and the really, REALLY nasty ones might get filibustered??...the gop solution, line up the ones you want, then nominate a bunch of even more virulent wingnuts that would never, EVER get through, present them first, and after the inevitable filibustering and rejections complain about 'obstructionist' Democrats and get the ones you wanted through in the first place in a breeze.

This is not a victory, this is appeasement. Does NO-ONE in this country EVER read their history books? Look how well Neville Chamberlain made out appeasing a different bunch of maniacal right-wing lunatics in the late 1930's....

Einstein said that the definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. You might as well include that in the definition of the Democratic party.

If Frist had pushed the nuclear button he would have LOST.

Now we'll never know...what we DO know for sure is that the GOP won...AGAIN.....and the Democrats have proven...AGAIN... that they are about as useful as a kick-stand on a Jackass....

I am truly disgusted.

[spanone]

10. So you would rather have the filibuster eliminated?

Because I'm sure they could have beat it. Then they would still have their judges.

[Quixote1818]

14. Not to mention we might lose Roe v. Wade if we lost the filibuster

I think the deal is fine.

[CTLawGuy]

19. but then they take the political risk

involved with the nuclear option, if we don't have the compromise.

We just gave them judges and saved them the risk.

[Telly Savalas]

29. Let's assess these risks.

We risk losing reproductive rights for women for decades.

They risk a mild drop in the polls for a few months.

[CTLawGuy]

30. yeah

Im sure Owen and Prior, who are cleared to be confirmed, will uphold roe v wade :eyes:

[Telly Savalas]

41. And the Supreme Court doesn't have the power to overturn their

decisions. :eyes:

[comsymp]

54. And Bush is expected to fill how many vacancies on SCOTUS

during the rest of his term? Rehnquist, O'Connor and Stevens, almost certainly. Ginsburg is entirely possible. That's (worst case) one conservative, one swing and 2 liberals.

And the Dems have just promised not to filibuster these nominees.

I would suggest that rolling your eyes may be a bit premature.

[FreedomAngel82]

22. Like they use it now?

And what good would that be? They still would've gotten a lot of their stuff passed through with Liberman and Biden and the like.

[ComerPerro]

53. So whats wrong with forcing them to eliminate the fillabuster?

Then they are the radicals.

Besides, according to the deal (unless I am misunderstanding) the Dems have agreed not to fillabuster anymore. Except for "extreme circumstances" that a group of moderates agree upon.

Bush and the GOP wanted the Dems to stop fillabustering. Now they have.

The Dems wanted Bush's nominees to be blocked, because they were radical conservatives. That isn't going to happen now.

The mod Republicans said that they will make sure that Bush isn't nominating fanatical wingnuts or talibornagain zealots. But do you really trust them? I don't.

Seems to me that Bush just got a free pass to put through anyone he wants.

And whenever the Dems object, even if Bush nominates Ashcroft for Supreme Court, they will be painted as traitors who can't be trusted because they went back on the deal.

[Dr Ron]

11. LUTD Post on the deal

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/?view=plink&id=943

Let's Make a Deal
23 May 2005


We may not know for a while what the real effects of today's deal on the filibuster are. The down side is that some of the far right wing judges may go through, and there is no way to be certain that Frist won't still go through with the nuclear option should Democrats try to filibuster an extreme choice for the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately the only thing that would have made us happy--stopping these judges without Frist having the votes to end filibusters--might have been impossible. We had two bad choices. Either this deal or and end to the filibuster, and the far right wing judges still would have gone through

The real questions remain whether the threat of the filibuster remaining will have any impact in keeping out the most extreme judges, and whether this will have an impact politically which is harmful to the Republicans. A comment from First Read today provides hope that this might turn out to be harmful to the Republicans:


"Social conservative leaders are warning that "a failure to end judicial filibusters would leave rank-and-file activists dispirited after having worked to re-elect President Bush and expand Republican majorities in the House and Senate last year," Roll Call reports. "In fact, they suggest a loss in the judicial battle might be enough to drive these activists away from the polls in 2006 and perhaps in 2008, denying Republicans a loyal political base seen as vital to GOP victories."

I'm not all that optimistic about this if they get conservative judges through, but the more this can come off as being called a Democratic victory, the more likely some on the religious right will question the value of their recent political action. Reid is smart to declare a victory now that the deal has been made. At very least this makes Frist look weaker, which is not a bad thing.

Hopefully the Democrats can also use this as an argument that a Democratic-controlled Senate is the only way to keep the far right judges off the Supreme Court. In the past I don't think people really thought Rowe v. Wade was in danger. It now may be possible to get them to think along these lines

[DELUSIONAL]

12. Reid is a con man -- period

It is amazing to me how many people fall for this crap.

Expect the same sort of idiot -- probably Ashcrotch -- to be nominated to the Supreme court -- and even this extreme asshole will get a pass -- and Reid will claim another victory and many democrats will convince themselves that they won another "victory'.

[CAcyclist]

74. Reid wasn't part of this.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/05/24/MNG86CTOGI1.DTL

Who: The agreement was reached by Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Mike DeWine of Ohio, John Warner of Virginia, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island; Democrats Robert Byrd of West Virginia, Ken Salazar of Colorado, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut.

Of course, he's going to put the best possible spin on this.

[SmokingJacket]

13. And if we break our "agreement" by filibustering some neanderthal

potential SC judge, what's to say they won't invoke the nuclear option again?

They get their judges, we get to feel good about the rules staying THE SAME.

They got everything they wanted by holding the nuclear bomb over our heads. So they didn't drop it -- might as well have.

The only good thing to come out of it is Frist's looking impotent. Well, I'm not holding my breath on that one. Let's see how he looks tomorrow.

[FreedomAngel82]

23. Exactly

Something will make Frist do the option anyways.

[Fovea]

15. we should have fought this.

And I will be damned if I will celebrate capitulation.

[high density]

17. Clear win for the Republicans again

It's pretty obvious that the Democratic leadership in this country has no clue at all.

[makhno]

25. Oh, they do have a clue

It's time to understand that the interests served by the Democratic leadership are the same as those served by the Republicans - their own first and foremost, those of the corporate sponsors that bankroll their campaigns after that.

Neither party will fight for what is right for the citizens. Just Look at the judges set to be approved.

[Senior citizen]

43. In a rare display of bi-partisanship, Dictator Bush and the Puke Party

have announced that they MIGHT settle for having only 98% or 99% of their biased, unqualified lifetime appellate judiciary appointments confirmed, rather than 100%.

This is an extraordinary concession, as it leaves open the slim possibility that those in the administration who were behind 9/11, or those responsible for corporate crimes such as Bhopal, might have to be concerned that there could be a single judge left on the appellate bench who is unbiased and not owned by them totally.

With this in mind, the likelihood of the pukes not getting 100% of their judges confirmed by politicians beholden to corporations for their campaign coffers, vanishes.

And it is all Ralph Nader's fault!

[FreedomAngel82]

18. Exactly

This is not a victory. Far from it. The Bush White House, according to Malloy's show, praised this. According to a caller from Memphis, Tennessee she tried calling Frist's Nashville and DC office's and she said they wouldn't take calls past 4pm eastern so this was already a done deal. We were fucked. And you know they have a plan to bring back their fundie base. So what is it going to be? :scared: The only thing nice about this is seeing the fundies freak out.

[solinvictus]

20. I've said it for years..

all these people care about is remaining in their elected seats of power. Come on, the American voter has such a short attention span these guys could be caught raping toddlers and still be re-elected as incumbents.

[makhno]

24. Don't be surprised

Lots of posters here were happy to argue the merits of a 100-0 vote on the new War on Terror supplemental.

[AuntiBush]

26. You got it. No Celebration at all.

At a total loss why some out here really believe we won something here.

[Cobalt Violet]

28. We are all the more close to a Totalitarian Fascist Theocratic state.

[Geek_Girl]

31. It's a little to early to tell

I am concerned that the centrist deal makers just sold us down the river. But we'll know for sure, when Rehnquist steps down.

But short term this was a political victory. It's got their base's panties all up in the wad and that is a very good thing.

[bloom]

32. That's how it looks from here as well... eom

[Nothing Without Hope]

33. Yeah - the "deal" is a cavein. The Dems are saying "We promise not to

use the filibuster if you promise not to take it away from us." The filibuster challenge has not been ended, it has just been tabled long enough to get some of the most horrible theocratic anti-consitutional monsters into lifetime positions where they can tear down the rule of law.

This is no victory. It's a tragic travesty. But of course the people involved in it are busy patting themselves on the back for being such great "compromisers." Oh yeah, wonderful "bipartisanship." What a travesty. It's all spin and no substance. It makes me literally nauseated. I'm gonna go read a good book for a while and try to think of something else, because this just sickens, scares and infuriates me.

[Nothing Without Hope]

34. Links to VIDEO CLIPS, Dem and GOP BLOGS, and DU THEADS on "The Deal"

There certainly is a wide range of commentary on the filibuster deal. I think we won't know who REALLY "won" until we see how the votes for later nominees, especially for the Supreme Court, play out.

Here is a thread with links for video clips and to over a dozen EACH Progressive and GOP blogs:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=1804963&mesg_id=1804963
Thread title: “A great filibuster deal BLOG & VIDEO CLIP collection at Crooks & Liars”

And here is a partial list of other DU threads on the filibuster deal:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3712993
Thread title: “CNN Just broke in with ‘Deal made on the filibuster debate’”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3716283
Thread title: “Frist isn't the only one "nutted" by the deal”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1803985
Thread title: “The Democratic Party DID Win, Here's Why”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3714550
Thread title: “All Of Bush's Right-Wing Judges Will Be Approved: Another Great Victory!”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3716065
Thread title: “Ok, I've Ran The Scenarios Over In My Head”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1803255
Thread title: “We Just Preserved the Filibuster for the Supreme Court Nominee”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3713311
Thread title: “I'm glad they made this deal” (Will Pitt)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3714583
Thread title: “CNN: Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) speaks for filibuster deal - (VIDEO)” (2 min video by dzika)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3714881
Thread title: “Whoa! Dobson speaks!”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3713639
Thread title: “Lindsay Graham: ‘The White House is going to have to listen to us.’”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1494887
Thread title: “MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1494562
Thread title: “Sen Ben Nelson says deal reached on judges to avoid shutdown”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3714136
Thread title: “Tyranny Averted”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1803669
Thread title: “Reid Claims Victory!”

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3716815#3716931
Thread title: “Filibuster compromise: What a CHARADE by both sides.”

[Ell09]

35. I agree, this was no victory for Democrats

It's amazing that we couldn't even win the PR War on this issue. Our party has already let Bush have 95% of his radical judges (remember when Bush said no "litmus test" for his judges on Abortion...hah!), yet they can't make the case to the American people that it's the Republicans that are being unreasonable?

This was a time to stand and fight, and burn the house down (ie stop all Senate activity) if the Repubs try to go Nuclear. Instead it's yet another "compromise" that's heavily tilted to the right of center. Haven't these politicians learned ANYTHING from the Daschle debacle? Daschle tried working with these guys and he never got what was promised to him (why did he enter in to more than one agreement like this? I have no idea).

As long as Democrats continue to be unable to defend their positions and/or unwilling to fight for them, the Republicans are going to keep running us over. As the original poster states, I wouldn't be surprised if Bush gets all of the potentially blocked nominees through now. I am sure the Senate will roll over and allow Scalia or Clarence Thomas to be Chief Justice too.

I'd love to be wrong on this.

[sendero]

38. I agree completely..

... the oft-repeated talking point should have been "we've confirmed 95% of Bush**'s appointees, the remaining 5% are extremists that don't belong on any court".

Instead, you hear the usual bullshit about "Senate tradition", as if Americans give a rat's hairy ass about Senate tradition.

The Dems' total inability to rhetorically defend their position is starting to wear me down. They have a perfect example of how to do it, the Reps, and yet they just cannot pull it off.

[mopaul]

36. V-I-C-T-O-R-Y! ...now a sharp stick in your eye

yes, i'm celebrating, have been since 00

[jzodda]

37. What do you expect?

This deal was really only a defeat for Frist, but a defeat for our side? We should be lucky to get anything we can at this point. Even if all we gained in this battle is really time. Time that keeps the fillibuster as an option for a US Supreme. Even thats not anything close to a sure thing. You have to realize that when you do not have any branches of gov you can not expect too much.

[Itsthetruth]

39. Senator Feingold: "This Is Not A Good Deal For The American People"

Statement of Senator Russ Feingold on Tonight's Decision Regarding Judicial Nominees and the Filibuster

May 23, 2005

"This is not a good deal for the U.S. Senate or for the American people. Democrats should have stood together firmly against the bullying tactics of the Republican leadership abusing their power as they control both houses of Congress and the White House. Confirming unacceptable judicial nominations is simply a green light for the Bush administration to send more nominees who lack the judicial temperament or record to serve in these lifetime positions."

Read Senator Feingold's entire statement at:

http://feingold.senate.gov/~feingold/statements/05/05/2...

[Callboy]

40. is this some sort of joke

how dumb am i supposed to be again, someone remind me....

[in_cog_ni_to]

46. Feingold for President!

Once again he stands alone! First the Patriot Act, now this. He's a real Democrat.

[oc2002]

42. ..I give up, the Democratic party is brain dead with this deal.

.

pull the plug, no signs of brain activity on the Democratic senate side.

[JRob]

44. Exactly!!!! Watch the fun now! n/t

[grumpy old fart]

45. hmmm, all the judges will NOT be approved...where'd you get your info?

"At best the group produced a cease-fire in the judicial wars, one that will produce up-or-down votes, and thus likely confirmation, on three of Bush's most controversial appellate court nominees. That means that two others still face filibusters and probably never will be confirmed."

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20050524%2FREPOSITORY%2F505240366%2F1013%2FNEWS03

[TahitiNut]

47. Delusional pretense of precognition.

The score is 213 to nothing. Nothing. The 4% most extremist judicial nominees are given a pass through the passenger screening ... in effect, a permit to hijack the Judicial airliner.

[in_cog_ni_to]

49. exactly.

this wasn't a win. IMCPO

[in_cog_ni_to]

48. BUT after the 109th congress is finished doing their damage

the 110th can still use the nuclear option. The agreement was for the 109th congress ONLY. Stay tuned for the SCOTUS nominations. THAT is when the nuclear option will come out again.

[grumpy old fart]

50. The nuclear option will ALWAYS be there...so will the filibuster....

the deal got us over this hump, diminished Frist's prestige and was a blow to the WH. I will take this victory over the assured defeat under the nuclear option....this is a cease fire only, but a good one for now, IMHO

[in_cog_ni_to]

51. I know, but they will ALWAYS have a majority

in the Senate. evoting machines come to mind.

[Itsthetruth]

52. Bush Says He's Pleased By Deal To Stop Filibusters

George Bush on the Senate deal to stop filibusters:

"It's about time. I'm pleased that the Senate is moving forward on my judicial nominees who were previously being blocked. These nominees have waited years for an up-or-down on the Senate floor, and now they'll get one."


http://www.journalnet.com/articles/2005/05/23/ap/headlines/d8a9l0og0.txt

[WilliamPitt]

55. Um...seven were stopped yesterday

So you're wrong right out of the gate.

[Itsthetruth]

56. Only 18 Votes Against Cloture For Priscilla Owen Nomination!

If I heard it right on CNN, only 18 Senators voted against ending debate on Priscilla Owen.

That's the first result of this wonderful "deal" to end filibusters against Bush's nominations.

[Quixote1818]

57. Thank you, finaly a voice of reason.

nt

[Itsthetruth]

61. Stopped Yesterday, How About Next Week?

They were "stopped yesterday" and will be approved next week, or perhaps next month. In any case, it's clear that ALL of Bush's judges will be approved without a filibuster. That's the bottom line.

[markus]

80. And who were the other five nominees stopped?

I'm right now reading the inside links out of Curry's MSNBC piece,and don't see the additional five names (and haven't before).

I did notice that Frist doesn't feel bound by the agreement. McCain considers it an agreement not to fillibuster (doesn't Curry listen to NPR on the way into work in the morning? Could he be listenign to IMUS?).

Anyway, we are setting the Terrible Three be the new baseline for acceptable.

Read BullGooseLooney's thread for more on an argument on both sides. I'm pretty close to deciding to get on message (old habits die hard) but man, I feel like I'm back in the Young Socialist Alliance. Yeah, it's the party line, but it sure ain't right.


Still, as long as the right appears to be canabalizing itself, we'll have to see if that's worth putting these freaks on the courty.

[goodboy]

58. I agree 100%. Dems just rolled the fuck over like they always do.

kicking.

[im10ashus]

60. Not celebrating.

"As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron." --- H.L. Mencken (1880 - 1956)

[Itsthetruth]

62. The First Great "Victory" Achieved In This Senate "Deal"

Senate votes to end filibuster on Owen
By Jim Abrams

May 24, 2005 | WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Tuesday to end years of delaying tactics that blocked the nomination of Priscilla Owen to a federal judgeship, the first fruit of a bipartisan agreement to break the logjam over President Bush's judicial choices.

The vote was 81-18 with opponents of the Texas Supreme Court justice falling well short of the 60 needed to continue their filibuster. A vote to confirm Owen could come as early as Tuesday.

Owen, nominated to a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, has been blocked four times by Democratic filibusters in the four years since Bush first nominated her early in his first term.

But this time she benefited from an agreement reached by seven Republican and seven Democratic senators, reached Monday, that opened the way for yes-or-no votes on some of Bush's stalled nominations while protecting the future right of Democrats to use the filibuster to block nominees they feel are out of the mainstream.



http://www.salon.com/news/wire/2005/05/24/owen /

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

63. The frogs are enjoying the warm bath provided by the repugs.

And, celebrating the ever-increasing heat. And, rejoicing that they "promised" to turn it down if it ever gets too hot.

[Tactical Progressive]

65. ... if it gets 'extraordinarily' hotter

than the five degrees shy of boiling that it already is.

[insane_cratic_gal]

67. One won't be confirmed

NSF reports that Lindsey Graham claims that of the three who will get votes (Brown, Owen, and Pryor), one will end up getting defeated on a bipartisan basis.


Even if it is Owen, I'm willing to bet the sky will continue to fall anyway.

[Itsthetruth]

70. Get Ready For Chief Justice Scalia As Part Of This "Victory"

Now Bush can propose Scalia for the Supreme Court Chief Justice position without worrying about a filibuster. Some may try to spin this probable outcome by saying the Chief Justice position is not very important .... it's just ceremonial.

[Baconfoot]

69. This whole situation reminds me of grade complaints on midterms.

Occasionally, one will get a very recalcitrant student who just WILL NOT accept a grade even if it has been reviewed and rereviewed.
For an example, a student who received a C- (which is for some purposes not a passing grade) on a midterm might come in and present an argument for a C (a passing grade for all purposes). A review of the midterm reveals that B- was an accurate grade. Such a student might not accept the results of a review of the grade and request that someone else regrade the midterm. Upon reregrading, a student will sometimes STILL not accept that indeed they had earned a C- and ask to resubmit the midterm to yet a third person.

The solution in such a case is not to cave in and GIVE the B just because they are not going to quite asking. The solution is to adhere to the process. If the grade is C- throughout the process, there is no argument for actually raising the grade to C. Even if one puts "C" on the top of the paper or exam, the nature of the quality of the exam remains of mere C-, not passing, quality.

This is just what's happened here. Some of Bush's nominees have been given a C-, judged to be bad enough to take measures to keep them from a lifetime appointment. That C- is an accurate assessment is something the Repubs are not prepared to accept. "Grade it again."

[AuntiBush]

71. Owens was just Nominated today: 81 to 18

[yurbud]

72. ONLY BRIGHT SIDE: public disagrees with GOP on this

most of the public think the Senate SHOULD do more than rubber stamp judicial nominees. Add this to Schiavo debacle, and the GOP is doing a good job of clearing the moderates and people with any higher brain function out of their party.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

73. Let the onus fall on the Republican Party's shoulders for ending democracy

I wouldn't have caved and agreed to this. The nuclear option will be invoked anyway. Bush is not going to change his colors and avoid nominating an ultra-rightist Judge for the Supreme Court. I would have preferred to go down fighting instead of going down smiling while getting my teeth kicked in.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

79. i agree

i think we should have let them go all the way with it. see if they really liked what they wished for.

[bamacrat]

75. Ah democracy in action.

Isn't it great that we can, in this "free" country, express our views and question government without being voted into obscurity.
note sarcasm.

[understandinglife]

76. Nominated. As I've noted: yesterday was "Neville Chamberlin" memorial day

Let's RAP

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Be it MNA Day 3 or 8 or 15 or .... the day will come when 10s of millions of "Americans" and others stop their typical activities for 24 hours and urge 10 times that many to join should another MNA Day be required. On that glorious day what we once called "America" will emerge.

[Itsthetruth]

77. So Priscilla Owen Isn't Right-Wing Enough For A Filibuster?

If the nomination of Bush's most extreme right-wing choice, Priscilla Owen, doesn't constitute "extraordinary circumstances", I'd like to know what does.

Maybe if George Bush finds some Ku Klux Klan wizard who somehow obtained a law degree to nominate the Democrats would filibuster.

Maybe. Maybe not. After all, we can't do away with the filibuster via the "nuclear option"!

And we certainly can't take the risk of the "nuclear option" passing because Bush's nominations would than be approved by the Senate!

And if a Democrat is elected President in 2008, his/her nominations for federal judges would also pass with a simple "up and down" majority vote in the Senate! Well, we can't have that now, can we?

[understandinglife]

78. I certainly think she is more than qualified for a Filibuster lasting ...

.... into the next century.

She'd fit my definition of 'extraordinary circumstances' and if I claimed that, today or any day after today, and I was a minority member in the Bu$h neoconster regime, I would certainly be considered as acting in 'bad faith/bad behavior' by the neoconsters, and bingo, Frist would push the button and my seat would explode and I'd be blamed for killing the 200 y/o tradition of the 'filibuster.' And, that is exactly what will now the itch Frist is going to scratch the first time a member of the minority does claims ec.

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us

[TankLV]

82. You got that right!

[progressoid]

84. No matter how its spun, we got screwed

again.

[followthemoney]

85. Another victory for dumb-ocracy

Maybe someone needs to face these thugs and take a beating that nearly kills him. Then, if he is not dead, rally support as a martyr for the cause.

[TimeChaser]

86. So the filibuster isn't dead...

Just gutted and ignored. Some deal.