Repub Reaction to the "Compromise" is VERY REVEALING!!!!

[Beetwasher]

Think about it for a second. Why aren't they declaring victory? The SMART tactic for all the Repubs and all their lackeys would be to stay united and say "WE WON!!! We got our up or down votes on our nominees just like we wanted!!!" Declare victory, seize the spin and run with it. That SHOULD be the message from the top. That SHOULD be the talking points. But something has gone awry, very awry. I mean hell, even the NYT ran w/ a headline saying this was a Bush victory. You'd think they'd seize that spin and go with it, but no. Instead we see an unprecedented amount of rage about this.

What it reveals is that it was NEVER about the judges, it was ALWAYS about DESTROYING THE FILLIBUSTER AND CONSOLIDATING POWER. It was about once and for all completely neutering the Dems. Anything less than that THEY perceive as failure, and not JUST failure, but abyssmal and complete failure. Shameful, emasculating failure.

All the posters who think their outrage is a show, don't understand the Republican mindset. This outrage is SELF DESTRUCTIVE. The base is looking for BLOOD from members of their OWN party. No. They are truly livid, and emasculated. They feel impotent and their rage is real and it's directed internally. This is not planned, this is not scripted, this is not coming from the top, and if it is, it's monumentally stupid. Their base does not need any more consolidating. The only time you want to whip them into a frothing frenzy is when you want them to attack the other side, not your own people.

I'm beginning to believe this was a good thing. I wasn't sure, but their reaction is telling me that they feel humiliated, and that's good.

[mopaul]

1. Conservative Cannibalism

i fully support it

[annabanana]

9. rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it. . . . . . . . .n/t

[fertilizeonarbusto]

2. And they are MAD

at the "traitors." This is great news for us. I was ambivalent this morning, but I'm beginning to think we will remember this as where the tide turned.

[damntexdem]

3. Hey, I'm not sure the deal was good for the Dems; but ...

if it was this bad for the GOP, at least that's some consolation. Let's keep our eye on what happens to the GOP 'Gang of Seven.'

[in_cog_ni_to]

4. Well, I have to admit

I am thrilled to death to see the radical religious right foaming at the mouth over this. Everytime I hear one whine about it, I have to smile. :7

[Vincardog]

29. AN open note to the Rabid Radical Right Wing Nuts

You Lost GET OVER IT :woohoo: :applause: :woohoo: :applause: :rofl:

[Inland]

5. I also think it is impossible for republicans to pretend to "lose".

Most of their political power depends on an air of inevitability, and they can't stand to look like they are beaten on anything. Why else make a huge deal out of Bolton? Why else refuse to admit a single mistake? Why else punish France and Germany for being right about Iraq?

But I would also caution that there are losers and there are losers. The corporate interests got their appointments. The fundies see betrayal. Civil war is always good, but not all of them are crying.

[Beetwasher]

10. Correct, Even When They DO Lose they PRETEND They Won

That's their M.O. Why not now?

[BurtWorm]

6. Excellent points, beetwasher!

They're behaving like the proto-Nazis after World War I. I hope that isn't an omen. :scared:

[Stirk]

7. That's an excellent point- I hadn't noticed that.

They got their judges, but they're still angry. Because they didn't get to dismantle the filabuster.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. In the meantime, we get 3 rightwing judges and the nuke intact.

Oh, yeah, and some PO'd uber-conservatives who only got 99.99% of what they wanted from our senate lapdogs.

Yahoo!!

[Beetwasher]

13. Listen, I Agree, They Got What They SAID They Wanted

but apparently the DIDN'T get what they wanted. Even whe Repubs DO lose they still PRETEND they won. Why not now? Something has gone very, very wrong for them. This is NOT what was supposed to happen.

[chicagiana]

31. This is a strategy to preserve the outrage ...

Politics runs on outrage. They need something to RAIL against.

Why do Republicans rail against a "liberal media" when they OWN the media?????

They have to have something to always rile up the hoopleheads with. They have to have something to take away attention from their REAL business.

In terms of fundie outrage. Well, I guess they have a right to be angry. The fact is that the whole "god" thing is a smokescreen for the Republicans. They are uber fascist corpratists.

Once the corpratists take over everything, the fundies will be put in their place.

[LynnTheDem]

14. Yep, only a 100% win for the Dems would make you happy, huh.

That would make me happy, too.

Byt then, this is Real Life, and I think the rightwingnuts are moranic idiots for always demanding 100% and never being happy unless it's 100%...

[CTLawGuy]

32. this was barely a 1% win

they can nuke whenever they feel we are filibustering inappropriately, which will be anytime we filibuster.

We gave them 3 judges for free.

[SmokingJacket]

11. It just seems so crazy.

I can't get my mind around it.

They're flipping out because they failed to completely destroy the filibuster -- for now? Things are going to stay the same (or even better because the dems crossed their hearts and promised not to use said filibuster) but this is the darkest day of their lives??

You're damn right I don't understand the Republican mindset!

After watching them carefully for a few years, though, I've never seen them act honestly. Everything -- every talking point, every public reaction -- is calculated.

To what end? I just don't know.

[Beetwasher]

15. The Most Important Thing for Them Is PERCEPTION

Remember, they create reality. Why would they creat the reality that the are LOSERS?!? They wouldn't. This train has just gone off the tracks. I'm telling you, the WH does not want this image of LOSING on this and yet it's out of control. The ALWAYS want to at least APPEAR like they won! And in this case, one could make they arguement that they DID win!!! Hell, the NYT even said this was a Bush victory and yet we have them ALL SAYING THEY LOST!!! This is NOT calculated. This is NOT the spin Rove would want OR the reaction.

[SmokingJacket]

21. It'll be clearer in a day or two, once the memos get around.

If you're right, Beet, I'll be in major awe of your perspicacity!

Meanwhile... I can't help but think there's something behind all this rending of garments.

[Beetwasher]

38. I Suspect We WILL See Some Reigning In Of The Message

In the next few days, however, that would only further convince me the initial outrage was real an that Rove finally got them back on message...albeit probably too late, IMO.

[Kolesar]

12. They wanted a setup for the Supreme Court nominations

Now it is somewhat uncertain. Even if Rehnquist dies, he will be replaced with a conservative. Hopefully, the others will last past 2006 and the Dems will get the Senate back. I don't know what GOP senators are vulnerable beside Prick Santorum.

[Pirate Smile]

16. It was all about getting rid of the filibuster for future Supreme Court

nominees.

WH wants to only need 51 votes to put in a RW Justice.

The WH wanted the filibuster gone.

[WilliamPitt]

17. It has created a huge and very public rift within the GOP

which is damned good.

[suffragette]

20. and the cracks are showing

I think the rift was already developing and the time is coming for the moderates who have been chafing under the "do it our way all the time - or else" push to start voicing their disatisfaction with that.

[SpiralHawk]

18. "Emasculating failure" for the Republicans

Jeez, that has a nice ring to it.

Emasculation, it can happen to even the most bloated Republican.

[seabeyond]

19. and if the dems get a good debate on each of these people

on the senate floor adn passionately throw out the trash on these judges, say it the way it is clearly, the repugs will be dirty in voting for them even though they get in

and without doubt they would have gotten in anyway. but as you say, did something to repugs, and gonna keep the fight loud and center stage.

wouldnt it be grand if just one of the three didnt get the vote on senate floor. one can hope

[Cooley Hurd]

22. It shows they NEVER had the votes!!!

Democracy, there's hope for you left...:thumbsup::bounce:

[OilemFirchen]

26. Au contraire

It's more proof that they DID have the votes. Frist, Hatch, Santorum et al would not feel betrayed if the gang of six had bailed their asses out of a loss.

[Cooley Hurd]

27. I don't think so...

Frist had backed himself in a corner with the 'Justice Sunday' bullshit. He would've gone nuclear if he had the votes, deal or no deal...

[OilemFirchen]

28. Um, no...

There was no way he had the votes directly after the compromise, but that's irrelevant. DeWine and Graham were prepared to vote yea and stated such.

As has been observed, the puggies have a real problem admitting defeat. There's no way in hell Frist and Co. would have shed tears this A.M. if they didn't feel that their certain victory was stolen by a buncha renegades. If they were shy votes, they would have played up the compromise as a big win.

[Beetwasher]

37. We Will We Will NEVER Know Who Had The Votes

It's pointless to even speculate, IMO.

[DireStrike]

23. When are the Repubs ever happy about anything?

They control the media and it's "liberal". They are just bitter about everything no matter what state it's in.

[housewolf]

24. You got it, Beetwasher!

Thanks for the post.

Good ideas to take to heart.

[Swamp Rat]

25. Either they have begun to eat each other OR

They have an even smarter strategy behind the apparent tactical loss... I hope I am wrong and all the optimists here are right... but, isn't this essentially a compromise with fascists?

Don't board the ship!!! It's a cookbook!!!

[Frederik]

36. LOL

:rofl:

Please keep'em coming. I'm going to use this one as screensaver.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

30. BLOOD from members of their OWN party?

Gee... where have I heard that one before?

Oh, yeah! Here. The Democratic Underground is the place to go for all your Democrat bashing needs! You can see Bill Clinton bashed, Hillary Clinton bashed, John Kerry bashed, entire wings of the Democratic party bashed, anybody who doesn't believe in some conspiracy theory bashed, and certainly anyone who thinks this compromise was an OK thing to do bashed.

The D.U. is a one stop shop for bashing Democrats.

The only time you want to whip them into a frothing frenzy is when you want them to attack the other side, not your own people.

Insightful comment. Wish people around here followed it.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[indigonation]

33. I'm convinced we won now

Just go lurk on the freepers -
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=filibuster

Just reading their bitching and moaning is a prize in itself.

[THUNDER HANDS]

34. it shows the differences in how the parties approach their objectives

To the GOP, anything less than total, complete victory is a failure. To the Dems, anything less than a total, complete failure is a victory.

[not fooled]

35. MR, sad but true!!!

[Beetwasher]

39. Sorta Half Full, Half Empty

Or something like that...

[spanone]

40. It's ALL about dumping Roe V. Wade.

[kentuck]

41. you would have thought they would declare victory....

But they understand that their followers would not believe it. They feel like they have been betrayed by the moderate Repubs. That is a "reality" that Bush and Rove have not figured out how to change yet...

[lonestarnot]

42. De too tupid!