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Saturday, April 16, 2005Republicans turn the keysIt looks like Republicans are ready to drop the "nuclear option" on Senate Democrats. It's being reported that Republicans have more than enough to win a Senate procedural vote to end judicial filibusters. I whole-heatedly support this move - as I would even if the shoe was on the other foot. This recent phenomenon of filibustering qualified nominees is a corruption of the Senate's "advise and consent" role and needs to be ended for the good of both parties and the nation. Without such action, Washington will spiral into a war of tit-for-tat obstructionism until cooler-heads find their way to the halls of Congress (or the world ends - whichever comes first). In related news, I've found the libertarian blogoshpere's reaction to this storyline strange (you can find the links at Instapundit, as always). The perceived fracture in the Republican coalition has been the talk du-jour for weeks (so much so that it leads one to wonder if small-L libertarians aren't rooting for it to happen...), and has devolved into incessant attacks on anyone they view as being the least bit "Christian Right." Bill Frist is a favorite target. The latest uproar is about his association with James Dobson - a leader in the "family values" right - in fighting back against the Democratic propaganda machine on judicial filibusters. As Frist prepares to use the "nuclear option," he has finally decided to step-up the fight for hearts and minds. To that end, he has enlisted Dobson, who will produce a telecast entitled "The Filibuster Against People of Faith" to be distributed to churches across the nation. Of course this has caused an outcry from many that claim the Republicans are using religion as a political weapon. Personally, I fail to see how "The Filibuster Against People of Faith" is an exaggeration. We know from leaked Democratic strategy memos and plain-ol' quotes from Democratic lawmakers that those who have seen their nominations blocked were targeted because they were either a) outwardly religious, or b) a conservative minority (and therefore a prospect for any future Supreme Court vacancy). Frist and the Republicans should feel no shame in exposing this. UPDATE: The New York Times joined the Frist dog-pile today. Strange bedfellows... |
