Rowhouse Logic - Breathtaking Inanity

I’m not so sure I’m thrilled with this:

WASHINGTON, May 23 - An evenly divided bipartisan group of 14 senators said tonight that they had reached an agreement that would avert a potentially explosive vote on Tuesday on banning filibusters against judicial nominees.

…

Under the accord, announced in a hastily called Capitol news conference, the 14 senators pledged to vote to end prolonged debate on three of President Bush’s most disputed appellate court nominees: Priscilla R. Owen of Texas, Janice Rogers Brown of California and William H. Pryor of Arkansas.

The 14 senators made “no commitment to vote for or against” the filibuster against two other nominees, Henry Saad and William Myers, Mr. McCain said.

On the one hand, there seemed to be a pretty good chance that the Democrats were going to lose tomorrow, and that certainly would have been an ugly outcome for all involved. On the other, this doesn’t seem like the best cave-in, and I’d love to see more spine out of my party. You know, go down fighting and what not. I’m pretty sure the Religious Right is going to be screaming for Bill Frist’s head for the next few days, which isn’t an altogether bad thing. Let’s face it, with the Senate firmly in GOP hands and Frist panting like a dog in heat over the Religious Right over his upcoming Presidential run, we can only expect so much. Which is to say, not a whole hell of a lot, if that. This one was going to be lose/lose/lose baring a miracle. And that, my friends, is the new, getting pretty damn old, normal.

[Update] Yep, they’re out for blood. That’s worth a good giggle at the very least.

[Update II] I wonder how much of my “so what” attitude about this affair has to do with having lost so many fights recently, that a “not as bad as it could have been” loss doesn’t feel so bad as it ought to? I’ve put Russ Feingold’s comments (via Kos) in the extended entry. Well worth a read.

[Update III] This is an even better giggle. Via Will, who also asks “How could Santorum call the Democrats’ 1942 Nazis, when they’re really 1938 British Conservatives, giving away the Sudetenland and God knows what else?”

[Update IV] Matt is thinking a little clearer that I am: “Republicans are going to find a way to accuse the Democrats of breaking the deal in the coming months. And then they’re going to pull out the nuclear option again.” He also says “I think it stinks like a three-day-old fish.” That’s probably just about right. I’m watching my reaction go from “so what” to “ah, shit” pretty quick.

This is not a good deal for the U.S. Senate or for the American people. Democrats should have stood together firmly against the bullying tactics of the Republican leadership abusing their power as they control both houses of Congress and the White House. Confirming unacceptable judicial nominations is simply a green light for the Bush administration to send more nominees who lack the judicial temperament or record to serve in these lifetime positions. I value the many traditions of the Senate, including the tradition of bipartisanship to forge consensus. I do not, however, value threatening to disregard an important Senate tradition, like occasional unlimited debate, when necessary. I respect all my colleagues very much who thought to end this playground squabble over judges, but I am disappointed in this deal.

This entry was posted on Monday, May 23rd, 2005 at 10:49 pm and is filed under Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.