Frist and Reid at loggerheads already this morning ....

Fris says he may still bring up the "constitutional" option if the Democrats start filibustering again. Reid says that argument has been settled and should be put behind us. The "nuclear" option is gone, he says.

The test will come sooner rather than later. The agreement was made on three judges. They agreed to let them come up for a vote. If they bring up the two judges that were not agreed upon, we will see how the "moderate" Repubs vote. That will be the test for this new agreement.

In fact, it really may not hold.

Frist is already trying to position himself out of it. I'm still ambivalent about whether or not the deal is a net positive, and part of that ambivalence is the feeling that the repub leadership won't see the need to honor an agreement brokered by moderates. :shrug:

But if it happens fast, well, you don't have to be a genius to spin that one. Republicans made a deal to get three nominees, but immediately broke the deal.

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

he is blustering

The "victory" is that the Senate Democrats can claim they saved the judicial filibuster. The part they aren't saying is that they get to keep it provided they don't use it.

Some victory, huh?

The Democrats are allowed to use the filibuster in "extreme" circumstances -- as determined by whom? Any majority coalition that gets filibustered is going to see the use of the filibuster as unreasonable, almost by definition. If the Democrats hold to the agreement and the Republicans don't (I know, imagine the Republicans busting a deal just so they can get their way!), what recourse do the Democrats have if they call for a filibuster and the Republicans say the circumstances aren't "extreme" enough?

Then the Republicans accuse the Democrats of weaseling out of the deal they made, the Democrats say that this is one of those "extreme" circumstances, the Republicans say "Nuh uh!" and the Mighty Republican Wurlitzer cranks up and provides the echo chamber to clobber the Democrats. Again.

I'm not sure this was much of a deal, unless the Democrats were pretty sure that the filibuster was going to be taken away by rule.

And at the moment,the middle "moderates" are more of a threat to the Repubs than is the filibuster.

I'm trying to be as hopeful as I can about this, but the Republican track record of lies and deceit, temporary concessions granted and rescinded, and their general stinkiness doesn't augur well.

Will the "moderate" Republicans continue to stand up to Frist, his puppetmaster Dobson, and the combined fury of the corrupt Bush administration? I haven't seen these folks rear up on their hind legs in the last four years -- maybe it's the start of something; I hope so. But I fear that it's an aberration, an anomaly that merely throws a temporary hurdle in the way of the fascist juggernaut.

The Repubs have gotten what they wanted in the past because no Republican has been brave enought to buck the party. Now the 7 Repubs who signed on to the compromise have promised the Dems that Frist cannot take them for granted. If Frist doesn't behave honorably, then these 7 will not support him. That's what Reid means when he says the nuclear option is dead. Frist won't have the votes to get away with it.

This is all about going back to we rank and file Democrats and saying "See, we stood up to them. We saved the judicial filibuster."

there is no solid definition of the key word.

:grr: :grr:

Anyone noticing that the "Nuclear Option" label has been officially changed to "Constitutional Option" and is now on continuous loop?

before Nuclear Option: Republican Named

has to take up at least 1/3 of their time!

That's the problem with THIS deal. THose moderate Repubs saved THEIR ASSES from retribution from Delay, Frist and Bushco...that is all...there is no deal...Republicans don't keep bargains...name ONE they've lived up to.

.....he is a lot like Bush. Frist always wants it his way 100% of the time and he loves to be the center of attention. Frist will make his move for the "nuclear option" at some point in the future, so he can grandstand and be recognized as a "tough" and "strong" leader like Bush (vomit-vomit!!!).