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omeone needs to supply Senate Democrats with a dictionary-perhaps even a thesaurus. They need to learn the difference between compromise and surrender.
Six so-called moderate Democrats and a half dozen Republicans of the same alleged reasonableness have formed a group with the charming moniker “The Gang of 12”. They have come up with a wonderful idea: the Democrats will allow up and down votes (absolutely guaranteed confirmations) of the five most conservative, ferociously reactionary judicial nominees, out of the seven resubmitted by President Bush. The other two would remain “on hold”. On hold does not mean never to be voted upon. It simply means that these nominees will have to wait a while longer until the Democrats figure out a way to give Il Duce all that he wants, without completely alienating those who have voted against this American Caesar repeatedly and in the sincere belief that the national Democratic Party opposes him as much as they do. A belief obviously belied by the evidence.
To sweeten the pot, the Democrats have thrown in a promise never to filibuster any of President Bush’s judicial nominees, except in "extraordinary circumstances”. In return? The Republicans will pledge not to outlaw filibusters. Why shouldn’t they give such a pledge? The Democrats will confirm all Bush nominees, including those for the Supreme Court, and never filibuster a single one of them. They will have pledged, in writing, never to do so. So why, in such circumstances, would the Republicans ever need to pass a law outlawing filibusters? And in the unlikely event that Democrats do feel that such extraordinary circumstances exist, the Republicans will already have, signed and snugged away in hip pocket, an absolute right to exercise the nuclear option and outlaw filibusters. A right that they have been granted, free of charge, by the Democratic Party.
The Republican Party is known as the GOP, which stands for Grand Old Party. The Democratic Party since September 11, 2001 deserves its own acronym, the GAP, the Grab Ankles Party. It has abandoned all of its commitments to justice, human rights, compassion for and advancement of the poor, and protection of the weak. Its only ruling principle now is surrender to George W. Bush.
Six so-called moderate Democrats and a half dozen Republicans of the same alleged reasonableness have formed a group with the charming moniker “The Gang of 12”. They have come up with a wonderful idea: the Democrats will allow up and down votes (absolutely guaranteed confirmations) of the five most conservative, ferociously reactionary judicial nominees, out of the seven resubmitted by President Bush. The other two would remain “on hold”. On hold does not mean never to be voted upon. It simply means that these nominees will have to wait a while longer until the Democrats figure out a way to give Il Duce all that he wants, without completely alienating those who have voted against this American Caesar repeatedly and in the sincere belief that the national Democratic Party opposes him as much as they do. A belief obviously belied by the evidence.
To sweeten the pot, the Democrats have thrown in a promise never to filibuster any of President Bush’s judicial nominees, except in "extraordinary circumstances”. In return? The Republicans will pledge not to outlaw filibusters. Why shouldn’t they give such a pledge? The Democrats will confirm all Bush nominees, including those for the Supreme Court, and never filibuster a single one of them. They will have pledged, in writing, never to do so. So why, in such circumstances, would the Republicans ever need to pass a law outlawing filibusters? And in the unlikely event that Democrats do feel that such extraordinary circumstances exist, the Republicans will already have, signed and snugged away in hip pocket, an absolute right to exercise the nuclear option and outlaw filibusters. A right that they have been granted, free of charge, by the Democratic Party.
The Republican Party is known as the GOP, which stands for Grand Old Party. The Democratic Party since September 11, 2001 deserves its own acronym, the GAP, the Grab Ankles Party. It has abandoned all of its commitments to justice, human rights, compassion for and advancement of the poor, and protection of the weak. Its only ruling principle now is surrender to George W. Bush.