Via the NYT comes the latest piece on the Judicial Wars: Heated Efforts in Senate to Avoid Filibuster Clash, including this obvious factoid:
“While there is a lot of mutual understanding, understanding of each side’s position, there is not a meeting of the minds,” said Senator Joseph I. Lieberman, the Connecticut Democrat who is co-chairman of the centrists.
And this amusing (to me, anyway) quote:
“I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know,” the ordinarily talkative Mr. McCain said as he shooed reporters. “It’s a sensitive time.”
At this point, this is the biggest game of legislative chicken that I can remember, because it seems pretty clear that neither side is sure if the other has the votes.
One wonders, however, as to which side is most eager to move forward. Mr. Reid seems to think, at least as far the NYT’s reportet is concerned, that thet GOP leadership has the votes:
Mr. Reid replied that would be unacceptable, an aide said, and told Dr. Frist that he was ready to put change to a vote, predicting that Republicans would suffer politically if they succeeded.
However, I can only assume that Reid will actually want a vote if he thinks it will fail, so I would question any call for a vote by the minority. There may be a political price to pay for the GOP at a later date, but if they win this vote they win big for the short term at least, and perhaps in the long term as well.
Short term victory, yes.
Medium term, depends on if the Democrats follow thru on their promise to stall the GOP agenda.
Long term victory, no (think President Hillary Clinton -or any Dem President, and remember the new standard is an now up or down vote on every nominee, so even if the GOP has the Senate moderate GOPers would either break ranks or cast dangerous vote against judicial nominees.
Comment by SoloD — Wednesday, May 18, 2024 @ 8:31 am