In Moderation
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050524/ap_on_go_co/filibuster_fight
The linked story about details how the United States Senate has, for now, averted a showdown over President Bush's judicial nominations. With the Republican majority threatening for weeks to change Senate rules regarding the use of the filibuster, several moderate Republicans and Democrats came to an agreement, a compromise of sorts, in order to move away from what some have called "the nuclear option". While that terminology may be a bit much what was at stake was a long held principle of the U.S. Senate regarding the protection of minority rights. Despite it's contribution to the overall bureaucracy and gridlock of the Senate, the filibuster, whether used for judicial nominees or for general legislation, is a means to prevent the majority party from running roughshod over the minority.
However, the story within the story is what fascinates me. As an avid follower of politics I have felt all along that moderation would prevail and that sensible members of both parties would find a compromise that would not result in altering long standing Senate rules. So the fact that it happened isn't nearly as interesting as how and where. Consider the following:
The Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was the chief instigator in threatening to carry out the so-called Nuclear Option. His motivation is two-fold: 1) To make the Democrats life miserable because, well...because he is just that type of politician (See also: Tom DeLay on one side, Ted Kennedy on the other) and 2) He wanted to drive through ultra-conservative judicial nominees, take the credit for it, and solidify his name and reputation with the hard right wing of the Republican Party. Why? He will need them in order to run for his party's nomination for the 2008 Presidential Race.
Frist embraced the compromise with great reservation and has kept alive his previous threats to change the rules. Make no mistake though. He got his ass handed to him today and it came at the hands of a fellow Senator and a member of his own party. The compromise deal involved 14 U.S. Senators -- 7 from each party -- but the deal was reached in the office of.... (drum roll)...
Senator John McCain. A true moderate, a true statesman, and it should be noted a politician who, like Frist, wants to be President in 2008. He helped broker a deal that made the firecracker Bill Frist had been threatening to set off instead blow up in his own face. The John McCain who is a loyal Republican and has demonstrated that loyalty repeatedly by campaigning for President Bush (who, along with his campaign, thrashed and maligned McCain's reputation in the 2000 race for the Republican nomination) made a slight return to form today. Call it what you want: Episode I: Revenge of the Maverick, or maybe something less dramatic than that, but none the less still significant.
A compromise? A reach across party lines? Sure. It was that. But it was something else too. It was the first shot across the bow in the 2008 race for the Republican Nomination for President. For those keeping score at home... McCain 1, Frist 0.
J
The linked story about details how the United States Senate has, for now, averted a showdown over President Bush's judicial nominations. With the Republican majority threatening for weeks to change Senate rules regarding the use of the filibuster, several moderate Republicans and Democrats came to an agreement, a compromise of sorts, in order to move away from what some have called "the nuclear option". While that terminology may be a bit much what was at stake was a long held principle of the U.S. Senate regarding the protection of minority rights. Despite it's contribution to the overall bureaucracy and gridlock of the Senate, the filibuster, whether used for judicial nominees or for general legislation, is a means to prevent the majority party from running roughshod over the minority.
However, the story within the story is what fascinates me. As an avid follower of politics I have felt all along that moderation would prevail and that sensible members of both parties would find a compromise that would not result in altering long standing Senate rules. So the fact that it happened isn't nearly as interesting as how and where. Consider the following:
The Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist was the chief instigator in threatening to carry out the so-called Nuclear Option. His motivation is two-fold: 1) To make the Democrats life miserable because, well...because he is just that type of politician (See also: Tom DeLay on one side, Ted Kennedy on the other) and 2) He wanted to drive through ultra-conservative judicial nominees, take the credit for it, and solidify his name and reputation with the hard right wing of the Republican Party. Why? He will need them in order to run for his party's nomination for the 2008 Presidential Race.
Frist embraced the compromise with great reservation and has kept alive his previous threats to change the rules. Make no mistake though. He got his ass handed to him today and it came at the hands of a fellow Senator and a member of his own party. The compromise deal involved 14 U.S. Senators -- 7 from each party -- but the deal was reached in the office of.... (drum roll)...
Senator John McCain. A true moderate, a true statesman, and it should be noted a politician who, like Frist, wants to be President in 2008. He helped broker a deal that made the firecracker Bill Frist had been threatening to set off instead blow up in his own face. The John McCain who is a loyal Republican and has demonstrated that loyalty repeatedly by campaigning for President Bush (who, along with his campaign, thrashed and maligned McCain's reputation in the 2000 race for the Republican nomination) made a slight return to form today. Call it what you want: Episode I: Revenge of the Maverick, or maybe something less dramatic than that, but none the less still significant.
A compromise? A reach across party lines? Sure. It was that. But it was something else too. It was the first shot across the bow in the 2008 race for the Republican Nomination for President. For those keeping score at home... McCain 1, Frist 0.
J