Right-wing Republican reaction to filibuster deal

[WilliamPitt]

Writing in the conservative National Review, Andrew McCarthy assessed the moderates’ deal: “Let’s say, instead, that they simply gave us the bottom line: (a) three of the president’s nominees get an up-or-down vote (i.e., exactly three of the pending seven left standing after the Democrats — in that spirit of compromise — whittled down from the original ten); (b) the Democrats remain free to filibuster (but only on the strict condition that, uh, well, that the Democrats feel like filibustering); and (c) the Republicans, on the brink of breaking four years of obstruction, decide instead to punt (and on the eve of a likely battle over a Supreme Court vacancy, no less)."Sound familiar? Yes it does: It’s the deal that Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid offered a week ago — and that was flatly rejected as paltry and unprincipled.” - National Review, 5/24/05

Focus on the Family Chairman James Dobson calls compromise a “complete bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans, great victory for Senate Democrats. "This Senate agreement represents a complete bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans and a great victory for united Democrats. Only three of President Bush's nominees will be given the courtesy of an up-or-down vote, and it's business as usual for all the rest. The rules that blocked conservative nominees remain in effect, and nothing of significance has changed. Justice Clarence Thomas, Justice Antonin Scalia, and Chief Justice William Rehnquist would never have served on the U. S. Supreme Court if this agreement had been in place during their confirmations. The unconstitutional filibuster survives in the arsenal of Senate liberals. - U.S. Newswire, 5/23/05

Disappointment, outrage and sense of abandonment: Dobson goes on: "We are grateful to Majority Leader Frist for courageously fighting to defend the vital principle of basic fairness. That principle has now gone down to defeat. We share the disappointment, outrage and sense of abandonment felt by millions of conservative Americans who helped put Republicans in power last November. I am certain that these voters will remember both Democrats and Republicans who betrayed their trust." - U.S. Newswire, 5/23/05

Former Republican presidential candidate, Gary Bauer, calls compromise a “travesty.” "Under this agreement it is now more likely that radical social change will continue to be forced on the American people by liberal courts committed to same sex marriage, abortion on demand and hostility to religious expression. The Republicans who lent their names to this travesty have undercut their President as well as millions of their most loyal voters. Shame on them all." - U.S. Newswire, 5/23/05

Moderate Republicans have thrown victory overboard. Paul Weyrich, veteran conservative organizer, says of the compromise,"Once again, moderate Republicans have taken the victory and thrown it overboard." - New York Times, 5/24/05

A big defeat for the Republicans, Democrats win even though they put a few judges up for confirmation. “Conservatives are going to be outraged over it," said Paul Weyrich, a veteran social conservative organizer and founder of the Free Congress Foundation. "And what do they get for it? This is about the Supreme Court, and the filibuster is still intact for the Supreme Court. This is a big defeat for the Republicans. The Democrats win even though they have got to put a few judges up for confirmation." -New York Times, 5/24/05

Moderate Republicans didn’t have the backbone and the fortitude to stand up for the fact that we are the majority. The Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, chairman and founder of the Traditional Values Coalition: said he was sitting with several conservative senators and a dozen Republican House members at the Capitol Hill Club when they learned of the agreement. "I tell you, you would have thought that the World Series had been forfeited for some dumb reason," Sheldon said. "They slapped their hands against their heads and cried out. They couldn't believe that this was the agreement." Of the seven Republicans who signed the compromise agreement, Sheldon said: "They didn't have the backbone and the fortitude to stand up for the fact that we are the majority." - L.A. Times 5/24/05

Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council, says it’s not over. "I think we are going to be back here down the road," he said. - New York Times, 5/24/04

Iowa Right to Life Committee president, Kim Lehman calls compromise “absurd,” an “abandonment.” In an interview, Lehman called the proposed compromise "absolutely absurd" and said it amounted to "abandonment" of the GOP. "The grassroots worked very hard to elect this Republican Senate. It's not an accident that we have the majority, and they've squandered it," she said. "When on earth did they decide to compromise the Constitution?" - CNN, Morning Grind 5/24/05

Washington Times announces: “7 Republicans abandon GOP on filibuster. “The deal didn't satisfy Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has maintained that the Constitution requires up-or-down votes on all judicial nominees. ‘The agreement announced tonight falls short of that principle,’ the Tennessee Republican said on the Senate floor. ‘It falls short. It has some good news, and it has some disappointing news.’ - Washington Times, 5/24/05

Right-wing activists warn compromisers about their chances in the Iowa caucuses. President of Iowa Christian Coalition Steve Scheffler, president of the Christian Coalition of Iowa, said '08 caucus-goers have a long memory and little patience for "Republicans who oppose George Bush's judges." "We'll educate people in the caucuses, and this is not going to do them a lot of good in terms of their presidential aspirations," Scheffler told the Grind. "If they think people who attend caucus are going to forget about this, they're sadly mistaken." - CNN, Morning Grind, 5/24/05

Nothing else comes close short of nuclear war – activists vow to fight on. The Iowa Family Policy Center President Chuck Hurley said the issue won't go away. "It's the biggest battle, nothing else comes close, short of nuclear war," he told the Grind. "It's the biggest job the president has, and it's the biggest test a candidate faces." - CNN, Morning Grind, 5/24/05

I love the smell of right-wing civil war in the morning...

Link for forwarding:

http://blog.pdamerica.org/?p=77

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. I appreciate what you're doing Will.

It's going to take a larger mallet to crack the skulls of some Chicken Little DUers though.

[LeftCoast]

14. We've lost so many times, they've forgotten what victory looks like

This outcome is exactly what the Senate is all about - compromise. That having been said, I think the Dems got a lot more out of this than the Repubs...

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. I've got one person telling me we lost but won't say why.

She's only saying that she's been a lawyer for 29 years and she could've done better. No details of course. I think some people just like being miserable.

[nonconformist]

17. It's not the Chicken Little syndrome this time

It's the beast of logic, historical precedent and facts.

The hearts and flowers crowd are the ones deluding themselves.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

20. Riiiight.

Because this issue has come up previously in history. Because it was an absolute fact Frist didn't have the votes to invoke the nuclear option. I'm not even sure what kind of logic you can come up with to defend the criticism to make a sarcastic remark.

I'll throw out one fact for you - we have more of a guarantee of keeping the filibuster today than we did yesterday. Admittedly, it's not an ironclad guarantee, but NONE existed at all yesterday. We literally made something out of nothing. And yet so many here can't figure that out.

[nonconformist]

26. The historical precedence is relevant

With recent history, and how these particular Republicans and Democrats have conducted business.

The filibuster is weaker today than it was pre-compromise. They've framed it, and the nuclear option is still available if they subjectively want it to be.

Frist didn't have the VOTES. We should have called their bluff. Best case, we win. Worst case, dramatic fascist power grab goes down on live TV. We still WIN.

The filibuster is useless if we're afraid to use it when we need to and allow the Republicans to define when it can be used. Bush's SCOTUS nominations will float by easier now than they would have yesterday. If they have enough votes to force us to filibuster to stop a nomination, they have more than enough votes to deem our filibuster move "not extraordinary enough". How did we win again?

No sarcasm in my previous post. Some of us are looking at what these particular legislators have done in the past (their history), what the facts of the "compromise" state, and the FACT that all of this rests on "trust" with the Republicans - they even wrote it that way to show how nonpartisan they were. Some, when weighing the facts and history with these people, are not that naive. Some, when exploring what issues and principals the Democrats will really stand up and fight for are not that naive. Some choose to be overly optimistic because they're so used to getting their ass handed to them anything even remotely resembling victory - even if it's of the superficial sort that these people are so famous for - makes them want to hope for the best even though recent history suggests that it's unlikely. I'd say that's hearts and flowers mentality. I recognize it well, I've been there myself many times.

[BillZBubb]

23. Us chicken little DUers have long memories.

I remember last summer when we were trying to get across to everyone here what a terrible job the Kerry campaign was doing. Particularly the failure to smash the Swift Boat liars right up front.

Will was doing his usual cracking our chicken little skulls by telling us we were naive amateurs and the professionals in Kerry's campaign had it all covered. They were playing political judo, no political chess with the Repugs. We just needed be quiet and to sit back and watch the Kerry late inning surge sweep us to victory!

Now, Will is telling us that this Repugs lost this fight because the far right wing tools (used by the Repugs--not the other way around) are upset they didn't kill the filibuster right now.

Sorry, but strategy isn't the strong suit of the screaming right wing nuts. The real political strategists in the Republican party got a huge win on this. The talking head idiots will soon come around as the scope of their victory becomes apparent. This was a colossal defeat for the Democrats. Does "Judge Owens" sound like a win to you?????

[Maestro]

2. These people are freaks!

Long live the cabal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Down with any idea that isn't ours!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We want a one party system dammit!!!!!!!!!! :freak:

[FreedomAngel82]

3. They are freaky

and quite scary really. :scared:

[villager]

4. early handicapping on how this plays out in '06?

Primary battles as the GOP devours itself? If we're lucky...?

Early guesses, anyone?

[LightningFlash]

5. Luckily, this is going to become a little war....

And probably force the delay of Owens for over a week. This was no real victory for democrats(or republicans) yet the radical right is CONVINCED it is a huge coup and they were betrayed.

So, as the rational republican senators try to explain how much they gain from this, they will be shot down and sodomized to no end, and the GOP will begin to implode on itself.

That's the real victory here, you are going to see in-fighting the likes of never heard of before. :toast:

[Goldmund]

6. Sorry

Just because the 20-30% of America we like to refer to as "the Christian Taliban" is unhappy that they didn't get mandatory burqas doesn't mean that it makes me happy to give de-facto confirmations to 3 judges who will do their best to mandate the said burqas.

The fact that these whack jobs have managed to push themselves into the mainstream doesn't mean that I'll consider it a gift to breathe free air.

[MuseRider]

7. It is good to see this.

I am still pondering where I fall but against all the alarms going off in my head I think that Reid knows exactly what he is doing and this may well split their party. It will be interesting to see how many fall behind the Neo/Theocons. Me thinks the "traitor moderates" may see more support than less.

Another attempt at the Nuke Option will cement in the minds of any reasonable Republican that this faction is indeed a bunch of crying, baby bullies who think only of themselves and not for the people.

Still thinking..........

[supernova]

8. Ohh, thanks for the summary Will

I'm certainly enjoying every minute of them. :-)

[BrklynLiberal]

9. Maybe it is a good sign that so many on both sides are so unhappy..

I am pissed as Hell that 3 RW Fascist Jurists are most assuredly going to be on Federal Benches, and the so-called Nuclear Option can still be a possibility, but the RW Fundies appear to be really pissed off as well, so it can't be all bad.

[WilliamPitt]

10. That's the old saying

A good compromise leaves everyone mad.

[im10ashus]

11. They have control of all three branches...

...and still they can't get anything done. It makes me laugh.

:rofl:

[Itsthetruth]

12. Of Course Right-Wingers Will "Attack" This Deal ......

while they get all of the judges they want approved without a filibuster!

That's their standard operating procedure. That's how they operate inside the Republican Party. They certainly don't follow the method of many "liberal" Democratic pressure groups and individuals who frequently try to make a defeat appear like a great victory.

Perhaps that's one reason why the right-wing is so powerful and effective inside the Republican Party and why progressives in the Democratic Party have been marginalized to the point of irrelevance.

[FubarFly]

19. Yes , the theocratic wing-nuts are pissed,

but the corporatists are happy. While this could possibly develop in to a major rift, there isn't enough of a "betrayal" here to make that probable. The extremists' judges will most likely still be confirmed, and their hopes for stacked SC remain fully alive. They'll respond to this set back the way they always do, they'll whine until the "moderates" give in. It hasn't failed them yet.

There is no victory here for real Americans, i.e. those who are actually content abiding by the principles of our constitution. Instead of a total conflagratory disaster, we instead revert back to business as usual. All this means is that we will continue to be slowly reamed, instead of completely and resoundingly thrashed. The nuclear option is off the table for now, but the fascist agenda of the neo-cons will hardly miss a beat. Bush's appointments will still go through, our Congressional Dems have done nothing to change their image as spineless, opportunistic, appeasers, and John McCain gets to look like a reasonable moderate.

Now you can argue that our Dems made the most of a bad situation, but that is only true if you believe that the we didn't have the votes to defeat the nuclear option outright. :shrug:

[nonconformist]

29. The fundies are ALWAYS mad

We can't let that define a victory for us. No matter how well things are going for them they've always got something to still bitch about. If I was them I'd be doing the Naked Dance 'o Joy. They could ask for $100 and you give them $99 and they'd bitch and moan and grit their teeth because they didn't get their way 100%.

Heh... but on the other hand, the Democrats could ask for $100, they tell us we actually owe a debt of $50 (lie), but we work it down to where we only have to pay $20! And they MIGHT not even ask us for the other $30... but they're keeping their options open for that. And the Democrats would celebratory pat each other on the back for their mad negotiating skillz.

[deadparrot]

13. Thank you.

I wish DUers would have a bit more perspective on matters like this.

[Zinfandel]

15. God, sometimes I think your...

--well...nuts!!!

The duplicity stings. People should stop reading the mainstream press it's polluting their brains...they think they are getting the stories...unfucking believable...

As if ANYTHING will keep the republicans united against their common goal...Money & absolute fascist power.

Their greed is insatiable and it's a unifying bond, much more binding than a few political tiffs they inevitably will have...their ideology is the same, it never changes, corporate power and wealth. In so much as the workers are just that, workers, slaves they deserve nothing but to die when their work is finished, no more.

What a joke... The republicans got what they wanted, their radical extreme nominees...Now, the democrats look wimpy and lost everything because the republicans will just do it again with a Supreme Court nominee. The republicans bitch-slapped the Democrats in front of the whole country.

"Going into 2006, we have shown the American people that Democrats are weak and they stand for nothing (remember a few days ago when theses judges were too extreme - today they are just fine).'

We have also allowed the right wing Senate to look moderate in the eyes of voters.

And finally, it looks like a victory for Bush to most voters and to the media.

Democrats in the Senate are pathetic.

Will they ever find anything worth fighting for, ever?

"The Democrats act like wimps, they talk like wimps, they look like wimps.
Do ya think they might possibly be...wimps? Or, worse, self-serving, unethical, cowardly, politicians? Ooops, I'm being redundant"

[donheld]

18. Great collection of right winger whine

Thank's Will for hosting this whine sampling event. :bounce::yourock:

[progressoid]

21. BUT...

What if this compromise hadn't come through. Regardless of the outcome, there still would have been a Republican civil war. This was always a lose/lose situation for the church of Jesus Frist. There was going to be a huge fallout from this either way.

Frist and his congregation completely misjudged this and it hurt them.

The real winner here is John McCain.

[cornermouse]

22. Why would we care what the rightwing reaction is?

I realize this is a mom-ism, but their reaction really isn't very relevant. The democratic party has their own problems with this. We need to care more about the angry demcratic voters reaction.

[grace0418]

24. I'm not trying to be a chicken little, I SWEAR I'm not.

But maybe the poster who said "we've forgotten what it's like to win" is describing my condition. I don't know but I still have a bad feeling about it that I can't explain. I guess for right now I'm not going to say absolutely it was a victory for either side. Time will tell.

[oxbow]

25. Nobody won and nobody lost

we got the best we could from the Taliban lite. They got a couple more appellate judges. Next is the mass email campaigns to individual senators on both sides, for or against those judges. One big battle has become 7 little ones. Forget all this little shit over appelate judges, focus on 2006 I say!

[In_The_Wind]

27. Thanks Will

[cornermouse]

28. Thanks for the link.

I've been concerned.

[In_The_Wind]

30. you're welcome