Frist WILL "go nuclear", and he'll do it soon

[Don Claybrook]

As has been mentioned, Bill Frist got his tail kicked all over the Senate floor by John McCain. Frist can't just let this go, what with John McCain being his primary opponent for 2008. Frist will get all the fundagelicals in his camp, and McCain will go for the moderates and crossovers.

Bill Frist (and his bosses Rove and Bush) will want to try to take McCain down a notch or 3, and Frist will try to save face by trying the nukyular option, maybe with Myers.

That said, I think Bill Frist will continue to look like a whiny, unprofessional incompetent. The arc of his downward spiral since TSchaivo has been a beautiful thing. Push the nose down just a little more, Bill, you're almost there.

Edited to say PS: this idiot will also come down on the side of insanity on the stem cell research bill that's about to pass in the House with quite a bit of Republican support. Maybe, just maybe, we're starting to see the religious Right calve like an iceberg being set adrift from the rest of the floe.

[Turbineguy]

1. I have to wonder

Will the GOP pick another guy who election will have to be based on a dishonest election (Frist) or a guy who actually has a good chance of pulling in a lot of Democratic votes (McCain)in an honest election?

[corbett]

3. Neither, It Will Be Jeb, The First Brother

KKKarl has learned just how easy the Bush boys are to manipulate. The only time Jeb has shown any backbone was when brother George wanted to open more oil and gas drilling off Florida. The rest of the time, he fell right into line. I am firmly convinced that KKKarl has decided that the "legacy" vote is the best way to capitalize on the shrub's popularity with radicals and religious zealots and will do everything in his power to see that Jeb "wins" the nomination, despite the fact that DeLay, Frist and McCain all will try to cash in their chits in 2007.

[wakeme2008]

6. I am still thinking Cheney/Jebbie

myself :scared:

[onenote]

8. cheney/eliz.dole

mark my words...

onenote

[jayctravis]

25. Jeb/McCain.

Or, McCain might beat him.

[wakeme2008]

40. Jebbie has to go in as second place

he has a wife problem... They do not live together....

[bunny planet]

9. But isn't His Fraudulency the Lesser a Catholic. How will that sit with

the Fundaholics?

[chicagiana]

18. It's McCain vs Baby Bush ...

Either that or we'll have an "emergency" that necessitates keeping the Chimp Emperor on the thrown.

[tavalon]

37. Delay! Snort!

Surely he doesn't have any designs. I thought he was just trying to stay out of prison.

[Zhade]

34. Any Dem who votes for McCain is ignorant.

The guy is NOT on our side AT ALL.

[coloradodem2005]

Frist's whole political career went nuclear last night.

[seabeyond]

2. yes i think he will and seems middle road people like

the dems and repug resolved and didnt go any further. i think when frist starts making a to do of htis again, he is going to piss off a lot of moderates repugs and dems

[FlemingsGhost]

4. And the DLC apologists will tell us , "the plan is working perfectly."

A lot of Democrats are making fools of themselves regarding this "victory."

[ConservativeDemocrat]

11. The plan is working perfectly

Responses to the nuclear option, such as shutting down the Senate, are likely to hurt both parties, depressing turnout. Democrats need a large turnout to get these people out of office.

The best plan now is to filibuster a nut case judge before the election, and have the GOP refusing to recognize the minority speaker then. That would make great T.V. - showing the Republican abuse of power as voters get interested.

The way the numbers look now, 2006 is going to give us at least a Democratic house, if not a Democratic Senate. All we need to do is not screw it up, by following the advice of out of touch activists.

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

[FlemingsGhost]

13. My mistake, friend.

You are right ... we mustn't harm our chances to win a rigged election.

What was I thinking?

[ulysses]

16. "2006 is going to give us at least a Democratic house"

Got a cite for that?

[chicagiana]

19. Nothing but speculation ...

We were SUPPOSED to pick up support in the 2002 and 2004 election.

As it happened we LOST support in 2002 AND 2004. Granted our 2004 losses were less (and in terms of the House attributable to the Texas house redistricting).

Just remember who runs the voting machines. They keep getting better at stealing elections. And remember that the House is largely gerrymandered into it's current configuration.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. Yep

You also have to have people actually go out and vote and vote democratic to pull it off.

[sellitman]

29. Did you replace the Freeper voting machines?

If not keep dreaming.

[tavalon]

38. Um, I hate to rain on your parade

especially since I like, nay, love the idea of a dem. controlled house or senate.

But, one word, Diebold.

[chicagiana]

20. Agreed ...

There was no "compromise". The Rethuglicans got everything they wanted. PLUS, they got a pledge from the Democrats to stop using the filibuster in anything but "extreme" cases.

The only possible saving grace is that the Republican 7 also agreed to vote against the three ultra-right wing wack job appointees. This is not something we would have seen on paper (especially from McCain a 2008 presidential hopeful). I guess we'll find out tommorow.

I'm dissapointed in Randi Rhodes that she's bought into this "compromise". It's so plainly capitulation. What's worse is that Democrats will be called "deal breakers" the next time they filibuster irregardless of the situation.

[Jack Rabbit]

5. No chance

If he did it just as you described, he could count on seven Republicans, led by McCain, going against him. The nuclear option will fizzle out.

[Don Claybrook]

7. In order for him to pull it off

he would need to try to make the Democrats look unreasonable. I don't think he'll be able to do that; but HE probably thinks he can. We'll see.

[Jack Rabbit]

14. He would have to make the Democrats look unreasonable

However, no promises were made not to filibuster Myers or Saad, and it is already understood that they will be blocked.

Therefore, if I understand the agreement (and if the word agreement means anything at all), the Democrats will filibuster those two and, if Frist attempts to drop the nuke, then the seven Republicans in the Gang of 14 will vote against Frist.

The agreement doesn't mean that any or all of the seven Republicans in the Gang of 14 won't vote for cloture or that they won't support the nomination itself, but they won't vote for the nuclear option, either.

If Frist wants to pull the trigger and all the Democrats are standing firm, he has to convince a few of those Republicans in the Gang of 14 that the Democrats are acting in bad faith. Depending on the nominee, that might be a tough sell.

[chicagiana]

22. How do you know ...

How do you know that the Republican 7 were dealing in good faith????

My intuition tells me that they are looking to make themselves look like "heroes" for electoral spoils. Any option that would make this deal acceptable is a "side deal". And we can't call the Republicans for breaking promises made in private.

[Jack Rabbit]

28. Why would they not be?

If they really wanted Frist to pull the trigger, they didn't have to go through a charade. They could have sat on their hands and that would have been done today instead.

As it is, if any of them were to break the deal in bad faith, his name will be mud. He better get an awful lot from the Republicans for that kind of betrayal because no Democrat will ever trust him again. Contrary to what some people think, trust is a valuable commodity in the Senate. It's nice to know that if a bargain is struck with a fellow senator that he will keep his end of it. Otherwise, he may accomplish what he sets out to do -- like bring home pork to his state.

[bunny planet]

10. Fristula is getting pretty desparate.

[LightningFlash]

12. If Frist does bring it back....

Voinovich will vote against it, and Frist will be forever disgraced. For this means the nuclear option CAN NOT be used unless extra-ordinary circumstances happen by someone filibustering every candidate and or agenda without due discourse.

[Swamp Rat]

15. Meanwhile, the 'nukular' option for Iran is underway...

So many distractions while PNAC plots their next move... hold on to your hats folks! :scared:

[Don Claybrook]

17. Well, it looks like Bill Frist won't disappoint

From other current threads, it sounds like Frist is going to try to push Myer through.

I don't think this is a grand DLC reverse-psychology master stroke. I just think the Republicans are ripping at one another's throats.

Frist has been sacrificed. I can't think of a more deserving idiot. He had ambitions to take over the world; now he gets to have his face dragged through the asphault.

[Rainscents]

21. I have to vote for Dems in '06 even tho, they had disappointed me

over and over. We have to get these basters out... Only way to do this, mass turn out by Dems and vote for Dems. Randi Rhodes said, if Dems get 75% vote for Dems, it will be very hard to rigged the election, and I have to agree with her. BTW, '06 is off years, many people don't vote on off year. So, this is even more critical!

[FlemingsGhost]

26. "No officer ... I won't press charges. I know he loves me."

Good luck.

[Rex]

23. The man skinned cats alive and prays for the Rapture!

ALL ABOARD THE RAPTURE BUS!

[tyedyeto]

24. It will probably happen when it's least expected...

The current debate over it went on for weeks or more. When the Cat-Killer finally does it, there will be no discussion fo it beforehand.

Just my humble prediction.

[Brian Morans]

27. too bad he won't "go postal" instead...

Or perhaps he could "go away". That'd be nice.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. One can hope

But I'm not going to hold my breath for it.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

32. They're photographing him with halos around his head, like Bush used to be

Trying to make him look like a holy martyr to the bible thumpers.

[Brian Morans]

33. He looks like a mad turtle.

[Oilwellian]

35. OMG...that picture is hysterical

What a pathetic little man.

[tavalon]

39. Of course

you would think if they were trying to portray him as the successor to *, they would airbrush the pictures so he doesn't look like he has terminal cancer.

[tavalon]

36. Okay, this very thing came down the pike at about 4pm

Are you psychic or did you have advanced warning?

[Don Claybrook]

41. Not psychic

It just stands to reason that when a bully is bested, he'll want to get even. And Frist seems to be deluded enough about his own importance that he thinks he can get by with it. It also helps to remember that he's being pushed by his masters, either Rove or Dobson or both.

[janx]

42. What happened?

?

What did he do?