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Take Gun, Aim Squarely at Foot, Pull Trigger.

by Conservativity Staff,
Originally Posted: 5/24/2005 11:04:13 AM
Last Updated: 5/24/2005 11:05:32 AM

Seven GOP Senators teamed with seven Democrat Senators and, in so doing brokered a compromise that, in my opinion, has damaged the GOP.  The "memorandum of understanding" compromise guarantees votes for the embattled Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor.  The seven Democrats guaranteed that they will break cloture votes except "in extreme circumstances;" those circumstances remain undefined.  The agreement relies upon the honor and integrity of the Democratic senators who signed this agreement; aside from Sens. Joe Lieberman and Ben Nelson, I feel that the GOP "moderates" have misplaced their trust.

"I also hate the fact that these GOP turncoats have in essence conceded that nominees Saad and Myers are extreme, by not obtaining a guarantee that they will also be removed from filibuster."

I also hate the fact that these GOP turncoats have in essence conceded that nominees Saad and Myers are extreme, by not obtaining a guarantee that they will also be removed from filibuster.  Now the "moderate" GOP Senators, who will be listed below, will argue that the "extreme circumstances" clause will apply to these nominees, but I am not so sure.  I certainly believe that two or more of the Dems on this document will not agree to break cloture on these two nominees.

The chief GOP broker of this agreement is John McCain of Arizona.  McCain is a presidential hopeful.  His brokering of this compromise is a direct play to the non-base of both the Dems and the GOP, and a direct sabotage of Dr. Bill Frist’s presidential ambitions.  Had the nuclear option been fired, Frist would have an ironclad grip on the GOP base, and his cajones would have netted him most of the GOP non-base, who would have appreciated his determination to complete the work for which the GOP was elected.

I cannot wait to hear Rush comment upon this deal.  This is not the leftist capitulation that he predicted; but it is also not the nuclear detonation that I predicted.  This proves that neither of us are prophets.  What this deal most closely resembles is a GOP capitulation.  I strongly disagree with, and will not support the continued service of, the seven GOP turncoats who made this deal.  There was no need for the GOP to compromise in this matter.  They had the Constitution on their side.  The had decency and goodness on their side.  By compromising, these senators made the GOP caucus look like self-serving, calculating, amoral opportunists.  They wanted to reserve for the GOP a "right" to abuse the Constitution in the same manner as the Democrats have been by their filibusters.  By compromising, these seven senators have intentionally shot the entire GOP caucus in the foot.

This has not been lost on Dr. Frist.  "I do believe that the memorandum of understanding makes modest progress and that three individuals will get up-or-down votes from the floor of the United States Senate but to me, it does stop far short of guaranteeing judicial nominees a fair up-and-down vote they deserve -- other nominees, nominees in the future."   Sen. Frist’s lukewarm praise did not fall on deaf ears in my case.  He continued by stating that this compromise attempts to stop the "partisan obstruction we’ve seen over the last two years." Dr. Frist made it clear that all nominees should receive a final vote: "Why just those three? Why exclude others?"  I could not agree more.

"I fear that these 14 senators will now try to control the entire Senate agenda.  Why?  Well, for starters, Robert Byrd (D-Ku Klux Klan) is one of the so-called ’centrist’ Democrats who signed this ’memorandum of understanding!’ "

I fear that these 14 senators will now try to control the entire Senate agenda.  Why?  Well, for starters, Robert Byrd (D-Ku Klux Klan) is one of the so-called "centrist" Democrats who signed this "memorandum of understanding!"  I fear that Byrd and other Dems who participated in the compromise will declare an "extreme circumstance" for every single nominee presented to the Senate other than the three that they grudgingly allowed to pass.  The GOP Senators will feel honor-bound to put up with these shenanigans since they will be more reticent to break their own written promise, even in the face of Dems doing it without a second thought.  Also, who in his or her right mind would classify Dan Inouye of Hawaii as anything less than an extreme leftist?

The Republicans: 

• John McCain (AZ)
• John Warner (VA)
• Mike DeWine (OH)
• Susan Collins (ME)
• Olympia Snowe (ME)
• Lindsey Graham (SC)
• Lincoln Chafee (RI)

The Democrats:

• Ben Nelson (NE)
• Ken Salazar (CO)
• Mary Landrieu (LA)
• Joseph Lieberman (CT)
• Mark Pryor (AR)
• Robert Byrd (WV)
• Daniel Inouye (HI)

Are these 14 senators trying to seize control of the Senate, and hence control of all of the Congress’ business?  Will they vote in a bloc and have to be placated before any legislation may pass?  Again, I fear this result.  My only bromide is that these 14 are so far apart in philosophy that I cannot see their "sticking together."  For the GOP, I can see Lindsey Graham bristling at extreme stuff that would have Byrd and Inouye squealing with delight.  For the Dems, I can see Byrd and Inouye being uncomfortable with stuff that would make the GOP happy.

Notice that some "moderate" GOP senators, like Arlen Specter and George Voinovich, are nowhere this deal.  That is heartening, and proves that Sen. Specter learned his lesson after being within microns of being tossed from leading the Judiciary committee.

"These GOP senators have shot their party in the foot.  There is a high likelihood that the Dems will immediately leap through the huge loophole of "extreme circumstances" for every Bush nominee."

These GOP senators have shot their party in the foot.  There is a high likelihood that the Dems will immediately leap through the huge loophole of "extreme circumstances" for every Bush nominee.  Hopefully, this will show the GOP senators in this deal, especially Graham and Warner, that the deal was a mistake, and the Nuclear option will be revived and set off.  Dr. Frist made it clear that this option is still available.  Good for him.

We conservatives have to field good conservative candidates in the GOP primaries, and fund them to the maximum amount possible, in an effort to unseat each and every one of these turncoats.  Additionally, we need to ensure that we can gain three GOP seats in the Senate in 2006, so that the "coalition" may be made irrelevant.  Otherwise, our president will be emasculated by disloyal senators more interested in being lionized by the extreme leftist media than in honoring their oath to our Constitution.