Durka-Durka-Muhammed-Jihad!!
I haven't really addressed this situation much because I'm quite ambiguous about this 'nuclear option'. I understand the frustration that Republican senators have over trying to get a simple YES-NO vote; I've always thought that the Democrats would be excercising their 'voice' in a Senate vote.
And while I'm not certain about who is bending/breaking what Senate rules concerning judicial nominees, I do know that from my perspective that the Democrats are pulling the well-throw-a-sh*t-fit-if-we-dont-get-our-way ploy.
(Hat tip to Michelle Malkin even if she never replies to my e-mail)
Cots brought in a Senate gears up for all-nighter
CAPITOL HILL -- The Senate is gearing up for an all-night debate ahead of a critical vote on the fate of the judicial filibuster.
Custodians rolled cots into the Strom Thurmond room as the Senate convened for what will be a lengthy session.
A dozen moderates are running out of time in their effort to hammer out a compromise to avoid a vote on triggering the so-called nuclear option -- given that name because of the sweeping impact it will have on how the Senate does its work.
The Senate Republican leadership says the president's judicial nominees shouldn't be filibustered, but deserve an up-or-down vote.
Democrats say the filibuster is the only tool the minority has.
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist's timetable calls for critical votes on one nominee, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen, to be cast tomorrow and Wednesday.
Owen's nominated to the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.
And Michelle points out that those mental midgets over at The Daily *cough* Kos are ramping up to do...something stupid:
All Hands on Deck!This makes me wonder exactly what they're gonna do once they get gathered. Whine? Protest? Riot?The battle to preserve the rights of minority political factions - and the public interests those factions represent - is about to be fully joined. Here are the simple steps you need to take to gear up for the fight to save the filibuster:
We don't know exactly when Frist will try to go nuclear, but people need to plan to drop everything and get in front of a computer. The process of breaking the rules to end the filibuster won't take that much time. We need instant mobilization and widespread distribution. With everyone's help, we can win this in the Senate - and on the local level.
- Sign up for text message alerts on your cell phone with People for the American Way. This way, you'll know instantly when we need to take action and what you need to do.
- Regionalization is becoming increasingly important - elected officials always respond more eagerly to their constituents, and good local media coverage is key. BlogPAC is helping to organize state-by-state efforts, so if you haven't yet signed up there, do so by clicking here. If you have a blog of your own, be sure to input that in the appropriate field. (Non-bloggers should sign up as well.)
- MoveOn PAC is organizing citizen filibusters - along the lines of the tremendously successful Princeton filibuster - tomorrow at noon. Click on over to their site to find a location near you. If you go, be sure to take a digital camera or a camcorder and post pics or videos online when you get home. Thanks to inflation, pictures are worth even more than 1,000 words these days.
All hands on deck!
I'm half tempted to sign up for the event being pushed by those gems of civility at MoveON at Horton Plaze just to see what would/could happen. But as with most organized whining events, it is in the middle of the day when most people work; I'm guessing that these protesters can just work the late shift at Wendy's or the Thrifty Gas Station.
Then again, I've got better things to do like give my cats a bath.
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