The "compromise" is weak and wobbly...

[kentuck]

Senator Frist pretends it never happened and Senator Reid pretends it is all over. Neither is correct. The fight continues. If the "gang of 14" loses their backbone or submits to the intimidation, then the "compromise" is dead. And we will be back at square one.

Indeed, this is a constitutional crisis. There is an attempted rule change through overt political power, rather than any consensus. Nothing good can come from such an endeavor.

Obviously, Senator Frist and the White House, Bush and Cheney, are not giving in to the Senators that worked the compromise. The showdown is still ahead. Which Senators will fold their principles?

[ananda]

1. All this means is..

.. that the process of completely losing checks and balances is dying just a little bit slower and more painfully.

It's not going fast enough for the Fristers, so they complain.

It -is- dying, so I mourn deeply.

Sue

[Warpy]

2. Delay still holds party purse strings

and that gives him considerable bullying power. If those GOP moderates (and it's hard as hell to call any of them moderates) want party support come reelection, they'll cave when he tells them to.

Basically, this was only a cosmetic victory for the Dems. It may put them on the higher moral ground later when all the GOP senators cave, but only if they develop enough of their own backbone to walk out.

The GOP got 3 previously rejected wingnut judges rubberstamped. The Dems got a gentleman's agreement from politicians who are demonstrably not gentlemen, who have lied and cheated to get where they are and stay there.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Hasn't this always been the case?

We've always been reliant on at least a 6 Republicans to make a stand on the filibuster. Now is no different. The only difference is that we have their word in writing that they will not invoke the nuclear option, so their integrity is at stake. It's more than we had yesterday, but not much.

[jojo54]

4. Howard Fineman said

that it's not over by a long shot (not exact words). I think this was on K.O. last night. Fineman said it's just a patch.

[Edgewater_Joe]

5. Fine. Let Frist and DeLay Break The Deal

That may very well be what Reid was thinking would happen anyway -- and maybe when Frist and DeLay break it, Reid gets the last 2-3 votes to lock the filibuster in and destroy the power grab once and for all.

A lot of people aren't thinking about what happened Monday as a chess game, but if you do, you'd realize that as painful as it was to allow Owens her confirmation, it may have been done in an effort to lock in the Republicans looking so blatantly like power-hungry goons that even Hannitized watchers can see it.

I am pretty confident that Reid is doing anything but "pretend(ing) it is all over." He's shown a lot of moxie already; I think he's earned the benefit of the doubt.

[kentuck]

6. Reid said, " the nuclear option is over"...

It is not over. At least, not yet.

[Edgewater_Joe]

7. ... and Frist is saying it isn't.

Mission for Reid accomplished: you can't trust this vein of Republicans on anything.