Joe Conason: "The Right Cries Foul as Bush is Foiled"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.observer.com/pages/conason.asp

The Right Cries Foul As Bush Is Foiled

by Joe Conason

In any successful deal achieved at the 11th hour, everyone tends to feel that they have surrendered too much. In the Senate compromise over judicial nominations and the filibuster rule, the only certain losers are those who would be satisfied by nothing less than total victory and absolute domination. That category includes not only the leaders of the religious right—who demanded the "nuclear" obliteration of legislative traditions in their pursuit of judicial theocracy—but the White House political strategists who have schemed to neuter the Senate.

<>They’ve already forgotten—and they want the rest of us to forget as well—that the White House favored the "nuclear option," and that the Vice President was prepared to cast the deciding vote himself in overturning the filibuster rule. Behind the blustering confidence, however, George W. Bush and his advisors must know they’ve suffered a sharp setback that may become the turning point in his second term.

<>More important than the number of judges confirmed or even the survival of the filibuster rule is the Senate’s decision to reassert its constitutional independence from the White House. From the moment that Senate Republicans replaced Trent Lott of Mississippi as Majority Leader with Bill Frist of Tennessee—in a move widely attributed to Bush advisor Karl Rove—the upper chamber has been diminished in stature and importance.

The new Senate chief, whose ambitions exceeded his competence, seemed too eager to please whoever might promote him, notably Mr. Rove and Mr. Dobson. His tinny pronouncements about the Constitution and the traditions of the Senate impressed no one—and his older, wiser colleagues have now publicly humiliated him.

more...

[indepat]

1. Will nothing short of full dictatorial powers satisfy the far right?

[flpoljunkie]

2. Turning what's left of our democracy into a theocracy is their goal.

[wildwww2]

5. I`m amazed that people really think that there is much democracy left.

Illegal war crimes,a court appointed then voter fraud pResidency,gay bashing,continuous baiting of the anti-choice so called pro-lifers. Democracy with mega corporate media manipulation. Seems doomed to me. But I sometimes stop and think about it. My sisters say that thinking about it without praying to their god I do not believe exists is sinful. I may be sinful but I don`t condone or make excuses for the murder of Iraqi`s for corporate profits. They do all the time. And seem to just pray it away. It makes my sinful self sick. End of rant.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[bryant69]

3. If nothing else

at least it's fun to watch the right wing come unglued.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://polticalcomment.blogspot.com

[SouthernDem2004]

4. Pffft the Republicans won. They are faking outrage for their fundie base.

We blinked plain and simple.

[wildwww2]

6. Absolutely correct.

Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[flpoljunkie]

7. Their fundie base is definitely not faking outrage.

Their aim, as well as Cheney's and Bush's was total victory--a power grab that would have put the Senate under the thumb of Dubya--turned into the rubber stamp for the Bush agenda that the House has become.

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[peacetalksforall]

8. Frist, Cheney, Rove, PNAC, the Fed Society knew full well that killing

the filibuster was the end of the plan for balanced representation as designed by the Founders of the Constitution.

It is a mistake to look at this as a single win. There are about 9 to 12 wins (or losses) that make up the total package.

Since I don't trust most of the Senators who made up the Dem 7, I don't trust the promises given to the Repub 7 - the part they didn't tell us, including the meaning of the word 'extraordinary'.

So, if the total numbers of wins to claim are about 9 to 12, the biggest one has been won by the citizens. It means a Cheney dictatorship has been averted for now because Cheney's mouthpiece, Frist, has stated that they are not backing down (a more or less promise that they might pull it later).

If the Dems lose all the other contests, this citizen win was a biggie.

Joe Conason - my favorite INVESTIGATIVE journalist and spokesperson for citizens.

[McCamy Taylor]

9. The Senate won. They didnt want to be Karl Rove's Puppets.

[spooky3]

10. Excellent piece!