I'm coming down from my high...now I'm worried.

[NightOwwl]

I've got to admit...I was pretty buzzed when I heard the news. Disaster averted and all that. Now I'm second guessing myself. Did Reid have the backing of the Dems after all? Was he stabbed in the back by the Dem 7 (and after learning who they are I must admit I'm a little suspicious.) Are the moderate Republicans going to look like heroes for saving the day? Lastly, has anyone heard Boxer's statement on the compromise? She's one of the few Dems I have absolute faith in; if she has spoken out in favor of the deal I will feel much better about all this.

[Nite Owl]

1. I'v ebeen out most of the evening

and sort of catching up and I don't like this compromise at all. Are there any guarantees that if we filibuster they won't bring this up again? We are letting in three of them that just yesterday were the reason for the filibuster and now they are ok, just like that? Haven't read anything about Boxer but Feingold doesn't like the deal.

[NightOwwl]

4. Yeah, when I saw Feingold's statement my heart dropped.

I hope Boxer posts a statement on her website soon.

[Clarkie1]

5. And I understand Frist likes the deal even less than Feingold...

Reid said the agreement sent President Bush, Vice President Cheney and what he called the "radical arm of the Republican base" the "undeniable" message that "abuse of power will not be tolerated."

Frist was less enthusiastic, saying the agreement "falls short" of the principle that all judicial nominees should receive a vote on the Senate floor.

<snip>

In announcing the deal, Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona singled out a senator from each party for their "vital" roles in the negotiations: Republican John Warner of Virginia and Democrat Robert Byrd of West Virginia.

Warner said he was led to compromise because of one unanswered question that guided him through the process: "What would happen to this Senate if the nuclear option were done?"

"No one was able to answer that to my satisfaction," he said.

Byrd, the chamber's most senior lawmaker, applauded the group of 14.

"We have lifted ourselves above politics, and we have signed this document in the interests of the United States Senate, in the interest of freedom of speech, freedom of debate and freedom to dissent in the United States Senate," Byrd said.

"Thank God for this moment and for these colleagues of mine."

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/23/filibuster.fight/index.html

For those 14 collegues of Byrd, Warner's question remains both unanswered and decisive...we won this debate, folks.

[FreedomAngel82]

7. Me either

I have this horrible feeling that I can't shake with this. :\

[NightOwwl]

9. From what I've seen of Harry Reid...

he is not the type to rollover and play dead. He stood up to the mafia for god's sake. If I find out this deal was cut behind his back I will be mighty pissed.

Obviously I'm speculating at this point, but I wish I could shake off the bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

[FrenchieCat]

2. Well roll another one and

do the "Don't worry, be happy" dance.....cause my first thought when I heard the news was "Oh Shit".....we're f*cked again.

[NightOwwl]

6. Gave that "vice" up years ago.

I might have to start again, though.

[SF Bay Area Dem]

3. Never worry. Just live and prepare to fight another day...

We all know this is not over. This crowd of malcontents are not the type of people to just give up. I can see * mouthing a major Rove penned speech where he will demand a up or down vote on ALL of his nominees and recess appoints anyone who is filibustered. I can also see Rove right now looking for the most rabid right wingers he can find to send up as nominees and force a showdown once and for all.

Much can happen between now and 2006 and these pukes know this. One thing to take a little bit of solace in is that the last round of WH inspired "terror news" did nothing to help * ratings and he has sunk even lower. Desperate people do desperate things so we must remain vigilant. Democrats should take note that we do extraordinary things when we stick together. Rove and his puppet have gotten over to many times because of dems breaking ranks. No more.

[NightOwwl]

8. Can't promise I'll never worry...

but I'll never give up the fight.

[housewolf]

10. Quote from a Frist aide

<snip>

But Frist, working with allied conservative groups ranging from the Family Research Council to the Judicial Confirmation Network, had invested many months of planning and advocacy to build support for a vote on changing the filibuster threshold.

In the end, there was no vote — and one could hear an inevitable sense of letdown in the voices of conservative activists.

It will be very difficult for First to rebuild the momentum for another effort to overcome Democratic filibusters.

“Everybody should be ashamed of this deal,” said former Frist aide Manuel Miranda, who heads the National Coalition to End Judicial Filibusters. “It dishonors the Constitution; it ignores the mandate of the 2004 election. It’s a horse trade of the worst kind. The White House has suffered a significant loss. The presidency is diminished as it relates to the Senate.”

<snip>

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7957783/


This is from the guy who was running Frist's "filibuster war room."

[NightOwwl]

11. Did you see the faces of the moderate Republicans at the press conference?

Or listen to Lindsey Graham's sighs of relief when interviewed by Chris Matthews? I don't know....I think they were really scared. Then I start to wonder why we didn't go all the way and call their bluff. Hopefully the individual senators will have statements tomorrow.

[housewolf]

12. I think we would have lost it...

We needed 6 repubs on our side to get a majority of 51 votes. We know the only chance we had for votes were from the moderate repubs who were part of "the gang of 14." So there were a possible 7 votes there.

This afternoon at and after the press conference, 2 of them, Mike DeWine and Lindsey Graham, said that they would have voted for the nuclear option. That left us with at most, 5 votes.

Us: 45 + 5 = 50 ..... we lose.
Them: 55 - 5 = 50 plus Cheney's tie-breaker ... they win