NY Times Op-Ed wags its finger at the GOP...

Editorial warns Bush (registration required) and the Senate Leadership against changing Senate rules to guaranty judicial nominees a simple majority up-or-down vote. They predict chaos in Congress if they pursue this option.

"If Republicans fulfill their threat to overturn the historic role of the filibuster in order to ram the Bush administration's nominees through, they will be inviting all-out warfare and perhaps an effective shutdown of Congress."

Oh Boo-F'ing-Hoo! Exactly what is so historic about a procedure that allows a minority to obstruct the will of the elected majority? This is not extended debate the Dems are engaging in, this is in fact the "shutdown of Congress" that the NYT is fretting about - it's already happening. The filibuster was a procedure that was created by the Senate as part of its thousand page book of rules that primarily get in the way of anything being accomplished.

Now let's look at the above language shall we: "ram the Bush administration's nominees through". Ram, shmam. If the nominee gets 51 votes to confirm, fine. If they don't then they get kicked to the curb. Last time I checked, the idea is for the minority to "get along" and "work with" the majority if they want a say in the process. Otherwise, what's the point of having a majority? According to the Times, there is none. Here's their advice:

"There is one way to avert a showdown. The White House should meet with Senate leaders of both parties and come up with a list of nominees who will not be filibustered."

In other words, allow the Democrats to dictate who the President can or cannot appoint to the bench (based on who the special interest lobbies find acceptable). The Constitution grants the President the power to appoint whomever he sees fit, with the consent - by simple majority vote - of the Senate in order to confirm.

There's nothing put in there by the founding fathers that says the Senate must achieve a 60-vote Super-Majority to confirm, which is what's required to break up a filibuster. The Democrat minority is seeking to strip away that explicitly-granted power. Sorry guys, but you're bringing this on yourselves. You only make yourself look petty. But keep sending out "Sheets" Byrd to do the talking for you. I hope that old coot lives to be 100.

The NYT is desperate to stop the Republican majority from acting like one.

"The Bush administration likes to call itself 'conservative,' but there is nothing conservative about endangering one of the great institutions of American democracy, the United States Senate, for the sake of an ideological crusade."

The only great institution that is in danger at this moment is the U.S. Constitution, and hopefully the GOP will have the balls to fight for it.

Posted by: Gary at 09:54 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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