The Democratic Party DID Win, Here's Why

[demwing]

All along Dem's have been pushing for compromise, Republicans have been mocking compromise.

Just today, on Rush's show, he wen't on and on on how there was nothing to compromise over, it was the majority way or no way at all.

And now the Senate reaches...

A compromise.

The Republicans look like schmucks. Dems win. People will notice.

Now, forget about appearances and party politics. Does America win?

[still_one]

1. WOW!, that was excellent!!

[Pirate Smile]

38. Here is another explanation.

How you can tell that we won the compromise
by Jeff Seemann For Congress


Mon May 23rd, 2005 at 18:31:00 PDT

The best way to determine which side "won" this compromise deal tonight.....
Don't pay attention to the talking heads on cable news.
Don't pay attention to the Senators themselves.
Don't pay attention to the aides and pollsters showing up on TV tonight.

Instead, read the most influential blogs on both sides of the aisle. See what they have to say.

Diaries :: Jeff Seemann For Congress's diary :: :: Trackback ::

I've just browsed the most influential Dem blogs and reading the comments posted.
Now I'm done reading the most important right-wing blogs and I've read the comments.

The left blogs are divided on it. Many people celebrating it, many people decrying the deal reached.

But on the right-wing blogs, NOBODY is celebrating it. All they're doing is complaining and vowing never to donate another dime to "the sellouts". Sure, they still hate us over there, but right now they hate themselves too.

THAT'S the best explanation and insight I can offer. NOBODY was going to get a pefect deal in this....but it's obvious from putting my ear to the ground that the Repubs think (and know) that they got screwed on this one.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/23/21311/4707

[Cha]

41. Cool!

Nice to hear what Jeff has to say.

[GOTV]

70. That's because the GOP knows the game is still on...

... while we're celebrating our "victory." If we don't stop trying to convince ourselves that we've already won and get back in the game we will lose big.

What you see as the GOP conceding a loss is really the way the GOP looks when it's working.

When do they stop complaining that the media is liberal? That the nation is run by liberal elites? Etc.

Even when they're winning they keep up the mantra that they're losing and that ultimate ruin is at hand. It keeps them pushing.

Meanwhile we tell ourselves that we're winning, we slow our pace, we take our eye off the ball....

then we lose.

[blondeatlast]

2. And it can't be said often enough--SCOTUS, SCOTUS, SCOTUS.

I can't think of any better example of extreme circumstances that SCOTUS.

[Shrek]

9. And that's a matter of concern

All along Reid, Boxer and others have repeatedly said that these three are too extreme to be on the federal bench.

But now the precedent is set. Suppose there's a SCOTUS nomination no more qualified than Brown or Owens? If these two get confirmed then how can such a nominee be an "extraordinary" circumstance?

It's troubling.

[wtmusic]

If Frist revisits the "nuke option"

the prevailing sentiment will be "Haven't we already SOLVED that problem?"

They lost. We won.

[Dr Ron]

3. Possible ways we win

Post from Light Up The Darkness

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.

[saracat]

4. America doesn't win as we know have three of the worst judges on the fast

track to SCOTUS! And people will NOT notice, and the repugs will look like they compromised as well. No one won today, least of all the American people!

[Erika]

5. Agreed. The Senate said Bush should submit names of

judges to both parties before the nomination. We won big time. These moderates told Bush to stop his radicalism and partisan behavior.

[lancdem]

6. Nice post

[ginnyinWI]

7. love it, love it, love it

Any time events contradict what Rush Windbag says, it's a good day! :)

[janx]

8. America certainly does.

Can you imagine what would have happened had not some pissed off moderates gotten together and used their brains?

I'm with you, Demwing. What these people did was awesome. There was much more at stake here than black-and-white, partisan politics. We damn near lost the farm to the right-wing extremists.

[rocktivity]

10. Yes, you're right--I wasn't sure how to react at first

But now that the initial surprise has worn off, I think something good--not great, but good--happened here. I'm glad there's not going to be a "pissing contest," and it's a victory of moderates over extremists, which is bad news for Frist and the MSM.

:headbang:
rocknation

[GetTheRightVote]

11. Perhaps you are right, they have the power the tool gives so maybe

the Dems won this one ... atleast I sure do hope so.

:kick:

[Gothmog]

12. Well Said. This is a good compromise

America is the winner in this compromise.

[DURHAM D]

13. I agree. I just got on DU about 15 minutes ago and have

been looking at a lot of the other threads. I usually think DUer's are smarter and more sophisticated than what they are showing tonight. There is a whole lot of screaming and unusually poor analysis. Thought for a moment I had signed on to the wrong forum.

[brainshrub]

14. So now the DINOS have an excuse to approve a RW wacko on the SCOTUS.

Hardly a victory.

[Erika]

18. You are incorrect. The democrats stood together on this

As they would in filibustering a radical SCOTUS nominee. Americans are showing they don't want any more of Bush's extremism and the moderates in the GOP see that also.

[demwing]

21. They NEVER needed an excuse, thats what makes them DINOS

Lets recap what we TRULY have:

There was a Senate standoff,
Republican bullies were pushing around a significant minority, Democrats offered a compromise,
Republicans sneered,
American's demanded compromise,
Republicans claim the polls were rigged,
Democrats held firm
Senate reaches a compromise

Now, filibuster survives to fight anothyer battle, and Roe vs Wade gets a breather.

Don't confuse yourself, this is all about Roe vs Wade. This is all about a womans right to choose.

This is a win, even if a temporary win, it is a win from all angles.

[bububjones]

15. I agree that we did win, but go big or go home.

Now we should try to drive the nail into the proverbial coffin of Frist, if a few of the nominations are blocked then we will gain a HUGE boost. It's a long shot but we should flood moderate conservatives with e-mails asking them to oppose the nominations.

[Psephos]

16. It's a Dem win for exactly the reasons you mentioned - good post n/t

[K8-EEE]

17. Freepres Are Pissed To Not Have "Absolute Power"

That IS their true agenda -- a one-party, totalitarian Freeper State. That's why they're pissed, they have NO interest in give and take, deliberation or debate....check out this Freeper quote:


"We should do everything in our control to drive the final nail in the Dem's coffin and enjoy absolute power... indefinitely."

THANK THE WAVERING MODERATE GOP'S FROM KEEPING US FROM A FASCIST DICTATORSHIP!

[janx]

22. Those extremists don't understand the Senate.

And they damn near trampled it to death.

[Erika]

25. Freepers don't understand our republic

The majority, especially when it's a slight majority, doesn't have the right to silence the voice of the minority, and rule as if this were a dictatorship. Nor should the U.S. Senate be only a rubber stamp to the administration in power.

We won very big.

[demwing]

27. Right. For years theyve been saying "we're a REPUBLIC"

NOT a democracy.

Their point being that true majority rule is mob rule, and that our system is based on a group of Representatives who lead based on what is right, not what is wanted by the majority.

But as soon as the Republicans get their majority, they drop the rhetoric labeling the majority rule as inferior, and act as if we've had 200 years of majority rule.

And the Democrtic party just called BULLSHIT!

[janx]

35. To be fair, a group of Senators did.

It's about time. I didn't think the Republicans had enough decent moderates left, but I was wrong.

Your point is so valid and true. The rabid right doesn't understand how our government is structured. They are screaming that the "President" (and they always capitalize the word, erroneously) should have just told those senators what to do.

They really have no comprehension. They have no idea.

[janx]

44. I've thought it over, and you are right. The Dems appealed

to the moderate Repubs. It worked.

[bemildred]

19. There is no deal.

The filibuster remains.
It remains a matter of individual prerogative.
The "agreement" is not binding on anyone.
ANY candidate can still be filibustered.
This is 100% bullshit.

[Zen Democrat]

20. I agree. The radionuts are going crazy.

[leftofthedial]

23. America loses

the repukes were 100% wrong, compromise makes it "only" about 25% wrong, but it's still wrong.

[bemildred]

24. Indeed it does. nt

[leyton]

26. Don't confuse the problem with the solution.

What's sad is that the filibuster was threatened. What's good is that it was saved.

[leftofthedial]

33. it's a political win for the DLC, but America still loses

The bullies were trying to steal the lunch money.

I guess giving them a buck instead of all five bucks is a "win."

[demwing]

34. No, they were trying to take our big gun

and all they got was a little knife.

That's a win.

[leftofthedial]

37. they can still take the big gun next time this all comes to a crisis

I think the only "win" in the deal (as I understand it, which may be incomplete or inaccurate) is that we made Frist look like an ass and the repukes had to cave on the issue of "compromise," which makes them look weak.

How big this "Win" is will depend totally on how effective the repuke propaganda machine is at spinning this over the next few days.

[Gimley13]

75. i agree, next time they need to, Frist will bring up hte nuke option again

pretty soon there will be so many compromises it wont have mattered. the Dems compromise too often

[knight_of_the_star]

78. If Frist breaks it out again

It will go off, but the fallout will take his party out of power in 2006. If he shuts down the fillibuster he opens the Senate doors for us and is handing us the keys.

[knight_of_the_star]

77. Even a phyrric victory

is still a victory, especially when the other guy lost even more than you did.

[corbett]

28. Definition Of Compromise...

"Nobody walks away happy."

If diplomacy is the art of the possible, then tonight's agreement was the diplomatic one.

My favorite part, regardless of the long-term ramifications, was that moderate Republicans in effect went behind Frist's back. Dobson must be pissssssed!

http://www.commoncause.org/VIVA2005

[demwing]

29. Yes Yes Yes. That is HUGE.

There are voices out there that are bucking the authority, and stepping out to a new drummer.

They're still Republicans, don't get all jiggy, but this exposes a rift in their shiny little party of lockstepping goons.

Here's another thing to think on, regarding the other half of the congress...If I were Tome Delay, I would look at that rift and shit my undies.

[corbett]

43. Exactly Right!

Check out

http://houseofscandal.org

To paraphrase Princess Leia in "Star Wars: Episode IV", "The more you tighten your grip, the more will slip through your fingers."

http://www.commoncause.org/VIVA2005

[Dr Fate]

30. Probably true- except the part about people noticing. n/t

n/t

[demwing]

31. Consider the following

As dolstein points out in his thread - which of the 6 Republicans that forged this compromise would have voted to end the filabuster?

We never had the votes to win without this compromise. We would have went down fighting, but we would have went down.

Hard.

Now we stand. Now we keep our weapon. Now there is hope.

[mmonk]

32. The way I see it,

they got their radical judges and still plan to "keep" the nuclear option for the supreme court if the dems filibuster. As far as I'm concerned, the republic is dead.

[einsteins stein]

36. "If the Dems filibuster"

Thank God we still have that "IF." We came very close to a "Since the Dems CANT filibuster."

I call it a win. :)

[mmonk]

42. Maybe for you

I still see ADA going down soon which will uproot my family (we'll have to move to preserve my son's legal standing as a human being in this country to a state that specifies protection). If the Dems filibuster a supreme court nominee and claim "extraordinary" circumstances, the republicans will still try the nuclear option. This is a mere postponement while some radical judges get through the process.

[Quixote1818]

49. NT

[Gimley13]

39. Too bad Repubs dont care about reality so they will trumpet this as the...

republicans glorious compromise, kindly deciding to reach over party lines to unite america

[Strawman]

65. No, they're pissed

I flipped on Rush at lunch to hear their reaction. They are calling McCain and the 7 Repubs who agreed to this traitors. The Dems own this compromise.

[Gimley13]

74. ok, the republicans are pissed now, but then the judges get in....

then everything is fine... for example, they just confirmed Priscilla owen! they got "owned" allright

[Mr_Spock]

40. I'd have to say more good than bad

We were in the right and all three still may not make it...

[Nothing Without Hope]

45. I can't see this as a victory. The nuclear option was just postponed.

The agreement was basically "If we promise not to use the filibuster, you promise not to try to take it away." What the hell is "extraordinary circumstances" when the Dems are "allowed" to use the filibuster according to the 14 (out of 100) Senators?

All this did was postpone the confrontation and get these three whack-job, pro-theocracy, anti-Constitution neocon judges lifetime appointments with little likelihood of effiective resistance to their confirmation.

And we know what neocon promises are worth.

I see this as a cave-in by the Dems.

[Melodybe]

46. I guess time will tell, but I am just glad that we can still filibuster

I'm glad that enough moderate republicans disobeyed Bushco and did their own thing.

[Quixote1818]

47. I don't think you have it right

From my understanding based on reading many posts we are basically in the clear for two years. We have the filibuster and they wont go nuclear. Even if they do threaten to go nuclear over a Supreme Court nominee they will get their asses handed to them. The Public is overwhelmingly for the Filibuster when it comes to a Supreme Court appointee. They would not DARE to use it then.


As long as we win the Senate back in 06' Democrats did OK. If we lose in O6' it could come back to haunt us. Thats what other Dems seem to be saying anyway.

[Internut]

48. This is he wording from the "compromise agreement"

"Nominees should only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances, and each signatory must use his or her own discretion and judgment in determining whether such circumstances exist."

My understanding of this: if any signatory uses his or her own discretion and judgment and finds that no extraordinary curcumstances exist, he/she can veto the agreement, or consider it broken. This means that if a couple of Republican senators out of the seven that signed does not consider the circumstances "extraordinary", there are two options - either no filibuster or a return to the thread of the "nuclear" option.

[Quixote1818]

51. How many more times will judges be appointed before midterms?

nt

[Nothing Without Hope]

52. No, they can still go nuclear at any time. This is a postponement of the

confrontation. Depending on how shifts within the Repub party shape up, the confrontation on the legality of the filibuster may never come or it might come at a critical juncture like the vote on a Supreme Court nominee. The GOP won't go nuclear unless they believe they have the votes for it, but if they do, they will go for it if it's about an issue or a candidate that is important to them.

[Quixote1818]

53. I don't think they will go nuclear on a Supreme Court nominee

Polls show the filibuster is very popular when it comes to Supreme Court nominees. The general public would never allow it in that situation. The public would go "nuclear" because they want someone mainstream. I read an article about it yesterday.

If they are going to go nuclear the better do it before it's for Supreme Court.

[Nothing Without Hope]

54. I hope you're right. But I think they WILL go nuclear for the SCOTUS

The opportunity to tip the balance in the highest court to support the neocon national and global agendas is just too big a deal to worry about polls. They want total power, and it's the courts that are all that are standing in their way. If they have the SCOTUS in their pocket, they have it all. Bye bye Roe vs Wade, bye bey all remaining checks on absolute presidential power.

Besides, they don't have to sweat elections much - they have the machines and the computers and the vote counters.

[Quixote1818]

55. I am listening to Malloy right now and starting to get depressed

He makes it sound like we got our asses handed to us on a silver platter. :argh:

[Nothing Without Hope]

56. Yeah, I was listening to him earlier and he was really down. BUT his

view is only one of a range. I suggest you look over the collection of links and comments I have in the post below this one in this thread. Many people, inlcuding Will Pitt and some other smart people, think it was not so bad. Malloy was really on a tear tonight, saying he was giving up the whole Dem Party with the exception of Kucinich.

I'm not so sanguine as some commenting on this issue. But the truth is, we won't know until the future is played out, especially with key bills and nominees - and most especially a Supreme Court nominee when that slot opens.

[Quixote1818]

57. The fact that Lindsay Graham was so reluctant to fuck with the filibuster

gives me some hope and respect for some of these guys. It would be tough to mess around with something that has been around for over 200 years. That gives me some hope.

[Nothing Without Hope]

59. Yes, it's a hopeful sign. Frist is said to have been sure he had the votes

to destroy the filibuster, and he is surely upset that it didn't go that way. He has fundie whackjob egg on his face. If he really did have the votes, then this is indeed a victory.

Or at least a pause in the hostilities. The nuclear option fight will return when there is an issue that is sufficiently polarizing. And this has made it clear that the Dems will not fight any but the very worst iimaginable votes - the three judges in the no-filibuster batch are truly terrible.

[Nothing Without Hope]

50. 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.”

[Azathoth]

58. It's a temporary victory for us, but a filibuster showdown is inevitable

For now, the compromise works in our favor. Frist intended to force a confrontation over Owen and Brown, who he he picked specifically because of their gender and race. By conceding their appointment, the Dems have removed them from the equation and taken away Frist's wedge issue. Now we will have the opportunity to decide which nominee we go to the mattresses over. Of course, Frist is desperate to appease the babbling, raving, megalomaniacal Christian Taliban, who are shaking and foaming at the mouth over this compromise, so a showdown is inevitable. If it doesn't happen at the federal level, it is absolutely guaranteed to happen when the first Supreme Court vacancy arises.

[unfrigginreal]

60. Yeah, we won the mole hill and gave up the mountain top.

By allowing the pukes to compromise on this vote, the Dems have given up the opportunity to show them for the extremists that they are. All we've done is delay the inevitable.

Bush will now realize that he can nominate Adolf II and the Dems will have to allow a vote or appear as the unreasonable party where, had the vote occurred now, the pukes would have been seen that way.

Russ Feingold has it right on this one.

[demwing]

62. Dems didn't "Allow" the Repubs to compromise

they forced it.

Big difference. We wanted the compromise. We would not have won in a stand off this time,it was too close to risk the filibuster.

Reid played it smart and pulled out the greatest victory a minorty leader could have hoped for.

[JNelson6563]

61. With Owens headed for the bench

does America win? You tell me.

[demwing]

63. Owens really does not matter

She is headed to the 5th circuit court, the most conservative circuit court that there is.

If she was headed to a spot on the 9th or 3rd circuit, I would be more concerned.

We're just trading one con for another. No loss.

[demwing]

64. Here's 4 more reasons why we know we won -

The crybaby complaints on talk radio -

1. Rush - In a pure, anti-McCain coniption, he just compared co-operating with senate Dems to holding SALT talks with USSR.
2. Michael Reagan - Spitting twice as much into the mic as he usually does, still says nothing of value
3. Bob Lonsberry - Can't decide which he hates more, Senate moderates or pedophiles
4. Pat Buchanan on Don Imus - crying about poor Frist getting sold out, the death of the Republic, etc...

Tell me these gloaters wouldn't be rubbing it in if they had won.

[Eliot Spitzer 2006]

66. Democrats did Win because we would have lost everything.

had the "nucular" option been activated. And now we get to listen to megalomaniac Senators say they have "saved the Republic." It's a riot.

[CWebster]

67. Where is the compromise?

The filibuster is dead

Edited on Tue May-24-05 01:37 PM by Internut
The Democratic senators in the group agreed that they would only support filibusters of "extreme" candidates. But, in order for the agreement to hold, the Republican senators in the group have to agree with the Democratic senators that the candidate is, in fact, "extreme". But - if these 7 Republicans agree that the candidate is "extreme", they would not vote for him/her, so the filibuster is not needed anyway. Conclusion: the Democrats hold no cards at all.

On the other hand, if the Republican senators in the group think the candidate is not "extreme", they either veto the filibuster or open up the "nuclear" option again. They hold ALL the cards.

Net effect: same thing as before, except now, instead of Democrats having the right to decide to filibuster, the seven Republican senators have the veto power over it.


Can anyone answer this?

[lulu]

69. David Corn at The Nation agrees ...

Snip
What does all this mean? At issue were five judicial nominees. The Republicans ended up with concrete gains: three conservatives (including one--Rogers Brown--who has declared that government is the enemy of civilization) will presumable be confirmed. What happens to the others--Henry Saad and William Myers--is uncertain. Saad's nomination is already in trouble (perhaps because of allegations within his FBI file). Myers could be a candidate for a filibuster. But the Democrats did not walk out of the room with a hard-and-fast right to resort to a filibuster. With this compromise, they are only able to wield a judicial filibuster if seven Republican senators agree the situation is "extraordinary." In essence, a small band of moderate GOPers will now have veto power over the Democrats' use of the judicial filibuster.

http://thenation.com/blogs/capitalgames?bid=3

[demwing]

71. Sure. It takes Frist out of the picture.

Not all Republicans are alike, obviously. Now Frist takes a back seat. Say what you will about McCain, but I'd rather have him guarding the filibuster than Frist.

The filibuster stands. It still takes a 60 seat majority to lockdown the filibuster. If nothing else, the compromise brings delay, and delay is a sharp tool for the Democrats. It will be much harder for Frist to build the momentum he previously held.

For the Republicans to put together another anti-filibuster majority, they'll have to start up the process all over again. Compromise wins over stubborness.

Now WE strike while the iron is hot. Time and momentum are on our side.

We must take back the Senate. All of our efforts in 2006 must be concentrated on the Senate.

And now we have a great tool. I can see and hear the commmercial now:

"The GOP leadership wanted to turn the Senate into a rubber stamp for the Whitehouse. The Democratic party fought to ensure the separation of powers, provided for in our constitution. In that fight, only 7 brave Republicans joined the Democrats in their battle.

"We must not let any one party consolidate our three branches of government into one. This November, remember the Senators that fought for the rights of the people over the desires of a political party. Vote for balance in the US Senate. Vote for Democracy. Vote Democratic."

[thecai]

68. As Long As A Bush Is In The White House

America is lost.

[UrbScotty]

72. Good way of looking at it.

Thank you.

[demwing]

73. Now that you've had 2 days to think on it...

do you still see it the same way?

I do, if for no other reason than itpisses off Rush Limbaugh, and it pisses off the neocon, theocorporate rightwing ditto heads that call his show.

They are LIVID.

We must be doing somethin' right. :)

[Clarkie1]

76. If was a victory for civil discourse, reason, and dialogue.

And that's what America is all about.