Quietly, senators from both parties attempt to preserve filibuster in back

[sabra]

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http://rawstory.com/aexternal/roll_call_filibuster_deal_518

ROLL CALL
Quietly, senators from both parties attempt to preserve filibuster in backroom deal


More than a dozen Senators entered tense negotiations Tuesday evening over the details of a proposed compromise on judicial filibusters, convening a series of bipartisan, closed-door meetings to attempt to come to an agreement to prevent the nuclear option, Roll Call reports Wednesday.

Roll Call's Paul Kane indicates that the group says that enough Democratic and Republican senators are considering signing on, possibly averting a plan by Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) to quash minority vetoes of judicial nominees.

Excerpts follow:

The group held three separate meetings Tuesday afternoon and evening, breaking from Sen. John Warner’s (R-Va.) office shortly before 7 p.m. without an agreement, according to one aide. The group expects to meet again today.

.....

Those involved include: Democrats Nelson, Pryor, Salazar, Byrd, Lieberman, and Landrieu, aides said. Also attending: Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.).

On the Republican side, senators include McCain, Snowe, Collins, Warner, and Graham. Also thought to have attended include GOP members of the Judiciary Committee: Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio).

The deal would not be supported by Frist, Roll Call asserts.

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[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. BWAHAHAHAHA

F*ck you, cat killer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[xultar]

2. I don't understand how this can happen...the thugs know how

important the filibuster is in our government. This shows how far gone the neo-cons are willing to go.

we may loose the battle but not the war.

i promise you that people

[tk2kewl]

3. they are drunk with power and really believe they will control

the senate for generations to come. dumbasses.

[Warpy]

5. The neocons just can't conceive of an end to their Reich

unlike their relatively sane (but wrong) fellow Repugs. The filibuster is the last ditch effort by an outnumbered party, something they use only when the majority party has proposed a total deal breaker.

Although by insisting on every niggling little procedural nicety the Dems can pour molasses over everything the neocons attempt to push through, their best response would be to walk out. Ending the only tool a minority party has to protest something totally repugnant to them will make their presence in Congress totally irrelevant and useless. Too bad they're all old maids in pants, though. They're all far too comfy to do the right thing for country and constituents.

It would be delicious to see a majority Dem Congress in 2006 overturning every stupid thing the thieves and lunatics have done for the preceding six years with no route for the remaining neocons to do anything about it. I think the few sane GOP congressmen realize that's exactly what would happen if they abandon the filibuster.

[jojo54]

4. My question is, what will be the deal?

That could be almost as damaging as killing the filibuster. If there winds up being a majority of conservative judges, then C.C.B. (Commander Cuckoo Bananas) could STILL kill or seriously twist a lot of laws that make this country as democratic as it is(or so we thought anyway).

[MADem]

6. Frist took the floor and basically told the Democrats to screw themselves

Harry Reid ripped him a new one. If the GOP wins this, it will be a Pyrrhic victory, and they'll live to regret it. Of course, the GOP are all tone deaf, and they can't see the rising dissatisfaction in the country. A shift in power could be very painful for them, and I wouldn't blame the Democrats for exacting a bit o'revenge. Funny, how only the older, wiser long-term GOP types realize that.

[Marthe48]

7. in all the years of a Democratic majority

did the Democrats aggressively try to undermine the Republicans' position in Congress to the point the Republicans had absolutely no say in shaping our country? I don't remember the Democrats at any time threatening to abolish the filibuster. I don't remember any time the Democrats closed the door on Republicans. This is another sharply defined image of the difference between leadership and power. It is too bad that when the Republics cheated their way into the majority, that they didn't bring any moral fortitude with them. At least when the Democrats had the majority, they were thinking about something besides $$$$$$$$$$$

It is sickening that a handful of meglomaniacs are dragging down this country and all of us in their way.

[GreenArrow]

8. it's real simple.

It doesn't require compromise. If the fillibuster is worth keeping, keep it. Period. No fucking deals.

[Coastie for Truth]

9. Why did Little Rickie

block a straight "Up or Down Vote" for former Pittsburgh US Attorney and current District Judge Robert Cindrich's nomination to the Third Circuit.

Why did Little Rickie block a straight "Up or Down Vote" for former Pittsburgh Ass't US Attorney and Public Safety Director John Bingler for District Judge in Pittsburgh. Bingler had the backing of his GOP Law School colleagues Dick Thornburgh and Orin Hatch.

Hypocrite.

[wiggs]

10. According to Boxer yesterday....

on the Ed Schultz show, the deal will cost a pretty penny. She explained that the dems focus is on preserving the fillibuster for supreme court nominations, since that is where big issues are going to end up anyway, regardless of lower court judges. She also said that some pugs wanted to protect the fillibuster but needed "cover" to come over to the dems side.

The implication was that Brown and/or Owens would be given to the pugs in exchange for the fillibuster.

She did not hesitate to blast Brown, noting how extreme she is, but she said "you have to be aware of where the votes are."

[AndyTiedye]

11. So Now We Have to Let EVERYTHING Else Go Through