Monday, July 04, 2005
When journalists start talking about the future as if they have a crystal ball, I can't help but think about the run-up to Bush's Iraqi War and how wrong they were.
Today's Washington Post writes key Republican members of the "Gang of 14" say "philosophical views" do not amount to "extraordinary circumstances." If Democrats filibuster, their previous deal taking the nuclear option off the table is off.
Well, all righty. How about plunging presidential polls, current Supreme Court case law and precedent, overwhelming public support for Roe v. Wade, recent Rove legal problems, rising casualties, chaos and cost in Iraq; oil, gas and interest rate hikes; and finally, general public dissatisfaction at the way Republicans are running the government...?
Does that give the gamy gang pause...?
Let them go ahead and try to pull the "nuclear option." And see if Republicans are not then banished to the trash bin of political irrelevance, much as they were for most of the 20th century.
I'm chomping at the bid for a chance to see Rove, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bolton, Rice, and just about every person in the Bush administration cower before the new Judiciary Committee Chairman, the honorable Rep. John Conyers.
Open hearings on Cheney's secret energy meetings; Downing Street memos and the lead-up to Bush's war in Iraq; false intelligence; Bolton; Abu Gharaib, Guantanamo and other torture chamber fun houses; and Rove's outing of Plame are but a few of delectable comestibles to be served--and not in the basement of the capitol.
I say any Republican talking to the Post of breaking the compromise is huffing and bluffing. It is exactly Justice O'Connor's retirement that constitutes an obvious "extraordinary circumstance."
And nothing has changed from last May, except more Americans have died and Bush's poll numbers have slipped further south.
There were seven Republican senators who were going to defy Frist back then: Lincoln Chaffee, Mike DeWine, Susan Collins, John McCain, John Warner, Olympia Snowe and replacing Lindsey Graham of North Carolina, none other than the Senate Judiciary Chairman, Arlen Specter. Retaliation by wingnuts...? Forget about it!
They have already tried to oust Specter and Warner in the past. Chaffee is fighting for his political life in the very azure state of Rhode Island; same as the Maine twin gals. DeWine and McCain are not afraid of Frist's feckless leadership; they've been around too long and can vote their conscience.
So my money is that the boy king will definitely "blink." Under the cover of partisanship, protocol and patriotism, he will appoint a moderate/centrist.
Dubya is already plenty worried Republicans might lose the House next year. And Rove is in no position to calm his frail nerves; he's too busy with attorney conference calls and trying to stay out of jail. Bush may be dumb but even he can read the tea leaves.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the House will go Democratic; and all his neocons will be looking for pardons just as Bush and Cheney wave good-bye to a crying Judith Miller and they are carted off to Crawford.
No legacy. Just shame, as it should be.
Today's Washington Post writes key Republican members of the "Gang of 14" say "philosophical views" do not amount to "extraordinary circumstances." If Democrats filibuster, their previous deal taking the nuclear option off the table is off.
Well, all righty. How about plunging presidential polls, current Supreme Court case law and precedent, overwhelming public support for Roe v. Wade, recent Rove legal problems, rising casualties, chaos and cost in Iraq; oil, gas and interest rate hikes; and finally, general public dissatisfaction at the way Republicans are running the government...?
Does that give the gamy gang pause...?
Let them go ahead and try to pull the "nuclear option." And see if Republicans are not then banished to the trash bin of political irrelevance, much as they were for most of the 20th century.
I'm chomping at the bid for a chance to see Rove, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Bolton, Rice, and just about every person in the Bush administration cower before the new Judiciary Committee Chairman, the honorable Rep. John Conyers.
Open hearings on Cheney's secret energy meetings; Downing Street memos and the lead-up to Bush's war in Iraq; false intelligence; Bolton; Abu Gharaib, Guantanamo and other torture chamber fun houses; and Rove's outing of Plame are but a few of delectable comestibles to be served--and not in the basement of the capitol.
I say any Republican talking to the Post of breaking the compromise is huffing and bluffing. It is exactly Justice O'Connor's retirement that constitutes an obvious "extraordinary circumstance."
And nothing has changed from last May, except more Americans have died and Bush's poll numbers have slipped further south.
There were seven Republican senators who were going to defy Frist back then: Lincoln Chaffee, Mike DeWine, Susan Collins, John McCain, John Warner, Olympia Snowe and replacing Lindsey Graham of North Carolina, none other than the Senate Judiciary Chairman, Arlen Specter. Retaliation by wingnuts...? Forget about it!
They have already tried to oust Specter and Warner in the past. Chaffee is fighting for his political life in the very azure state of Rhode Island; same as the Maine twin gals. DeWine and McCain are not afraid of Frist's feckless leadership; they've been around too long and can vote their conscience.
So my money is that the boy king will definitely "blink." Under the cover of partisanship, protocol and patriotism, he will appoint a moderate/centrist.
Dubya is already plenty worried Republicans might lose the House next year. And Rove is in no position to calm his frail nerves; he's too busy with attorney conference calls and trying to stay out of jail. Bush may be dumb but even he can read the tea leaves.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the House will go Democratic; and all his neocons will be looking for pardons just as Bush and Cheney wave good-bye to a crying Judith Miller and they are carted off to Crawford.
No legacy. Just shame, as it should be.
