Comments on: Nuclear Option, McCain, Frist, and 2008

By: Vote for Judges

Vote for Judges — Tue, 24 May 2005 16:36:08 +0000

The Deal

The Right no likee. I feel compelled to utter harsh denunciations of RINO turncoats. But I think the Right is wrong.

By: SoloD

SoloD — Tue, 24 May 2005 16:34:46 +0000

Two guy secretly smiling today are Allen and Brownback. They just saw two potential rivals fall to the side.

By: DaveD

DaveD — Tue, 24 May 2005 15:34:35 +0000

The Democratic Party threatens to filibuster in a context it has never been used before. Now, they manage to convince everyone in the spirit of comity that a compromise is needed on the threat. It's kind of like the Reagan SDI. Without any hard results that the USA could actually down a missle with another missle, the Soviets come to the bargaining table and their collapse nudged just that much farther. I am surprised at the number of people who think the filibuster, rather than a direct floor vote, is essential to the system of checks and balances in our government.

By: Anderson

Anderson — Tue, 24 May 2005 15:26:47 +0000

What James said. Rightly or wrongly, the public will perceive that a deal's been made, and Frist can't simply blow it off. Anyone else heard this rumor that Lindsey Graham thinks Brown's nomination will lose on a floor vote? If he's counting noses on the 7 Repubs in the compromise faction, he may know what he's talking about.

By: James Joyner

James Joyner — Tue, 24 May 2005 15:10:15 +0000

Norman: With the nuclear option, the Republicans get their votes anyway. Now, if they invoke it, it'll look like they're going back on their word.

By: Norman Rogers

Norman Rogers — Tue, 24 May 2005 14:56:24 +0000

I see this deal as a complete cavein by the Democrats. They would not have agreed to any deal if they thought that Frist did not have the votes.

Here's how this will play out:

1. Brown, Pryor, and Owen get immediate confirmation votes.

2. Bolton gets his confirmation vote.

3. The outer four are brought up by Frist, one-by-one. Amid much sound and fury, each of them is brought to a vote. If the Democrats fillibuster, two of the seven Republican signatores claim bad faith and the Democrats cave again (50 + Cheney = nuclear explosion). The Democrats won't risk it. Indeed, it won't come to this.

What's not to like?

By: GP

GP — Tue, 24 May 2005 14:49:22 +0000

While McCain showed real leadership in brokering a deal among fractious sides, his actions won't be viewed as positive by the Republicans who vote in primaries. These voters generally seem to like Bush's "my way or the highway" style of leadership, mixed with Christian populism. McCain is much more of a Bill Clinton triangulation leader and isn't doing himself any favors towards getting the 2008 nomination. His hope is that the other candidates are either lack luster or shoot themselves in the foot and he is the last qualified man standing. I still think McCain would do very well in a general election. So Republican primary voters may hold their noses and vote for him in order to keep the White House. And the media loves him. So I wouldn't write him off yet, but I wouldn't order the President McCain china yet either. Frist however looks weak and incapable here. He can't even get his own party together, let alone broker a bipartisan deal. His chances at the nomination are looking slimer by the moment, and I never thought they were particularly good.

By: Just Me

Just Me — Tue, 24 May 2005 14:23:25 +0000

I don't think Frist has the mettle. I think he is probably a very nice man, and many senators may enjoy working with him, but he does not have the ability to lead this senate, which makes me very unlikely to support him in a presidential primary. McCain shot himself in the foot a long time ago, and while he may do well among independants, there is no way he will survive a GOP primary intact and with the nomination.

The GOP screwed themselves on this one, and the Democrats once again got their way.

We will just see how the deal plays out when the first supreme court justice gets nominated.