Tuesday, May 24, 2005

 

Filibuster Flop - Republicans back in the minority

Everyone in the Blogosphere and MSM has weighed in on the deal to save the judicial filibuster, and I have been patiently waiting to put my two-cents in because I was irate upon hearing the news late yesterday. That anger has naturally evolved into inspection, which then changed to depression (more on that later).

Blogging for Bryant has sufficiently rounded up all of the usual suspects and their opinions on the filibuster, including those who blame Frist (Bill Hobbs, Glen Dean, Slublog, Mitch Berg, Tennessee Rants), those who are depressed but trying to see some good in the surrender (Fishkite, PoliPundit, Blue State Conservatives), those who are extremely disappointed on defections to the dark side (Matt White , Thomas Ravenel, Lance Frizzell on Lindsey Graham, Hugh Hewitt on Graham, DeWine, and McCain, Save the GOP on McCain), and those who see Republicans and conservatives as the big losers (Mark Rose, Hugh Hewitt again, Power Line, The Baltimore Sun, Right Wing News, TeamGOP, Lifelike Pundits, Physics Geek, John Brown).

However, probably the most telling - and most damnable - reaction comes from Josh Trevino at RedState. He sees this is a great tool for the GOP to keep conservatives in their place, with that place being lock-step with the party that cares little for issues important to conservatives. Unfortunately, folks, there are many at RNC headquarters today that are also happy about this result for the same reasons as Trevino. Types like Trevino are the reason that I have divorced my allegiance to the Republican party and instead adhere to the conservative values of Ronald Reagan. And I'm not the only one. As the GOP continues to veer left, conservatives are buying their time, waiting for the viable option to occur that cripples the GOP that has used us as slave labor during campaign season but treats us like slaves at all other times. But this is a topic for another day.

So what do I think of the deal? As many other conservatives have put it, we have seen victory snatched from the jaws of defeat. In effect, Republicans have become the minority party. Add those 7 Benedict Arnolds to the 44 Democrats and one spineless Independent in the Senate, and the Democrats rule the roost on the judiciary - just as it has been for the past 75 years. The fallout? Well -

It's funny after the last election how the disappointed mainstream media was willing to write off the next four years as conservative victories. Heck, I almost bought into it. Can someone point to one positive reason why I should be happy since last November?

UPDATE: Frist's first statement on the Senate floor post-mutiny says that I am wrong, that the "nuclear option" will be used as the stick to keep the Democrats in line. I doubt it. Perhaps this is Frist's attempt to look like a leader when it is clear that he has been besmirched.


Comments:
Boy, you sure missed the point of my post, chief. Badly.
 
The Senate defeat was demoralizing, but not so great a disaster as you make it out to be. Republicans still have the majority, though not by a great enough margin to truly set the agenda. They still chair the committees and keep clear control of the House and Whitehouse. What the filibuster defeat means is that they won't be able to change the balance of power in the judiciary anytime soon, and that no legislative revolution a-la-Reagan's Hundred Days will be possible. Instead, we have a fizzle similar to Gingrich's Contract with America. So... the great American stalemate goes on.
 
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