Thursday, May 19, 2005
Nuclear Option: Update
Hagel Flips: Victory within GOP reach
Nebraska papers are reporting that Senator Hagel, who as recently as yesterday was leaning against voting to end judicial filibusters, has announced that he will vote for Frist's proposal. If that is true, it leaves littel wiggle room for Dems. and moderate Rs to broker a deal. The current whip count, by my estimation is at 49 in favor, 48 against (All D's plus Snowe, Chaffee, Collins) and 3 undecideds (Warner, Specter, Sununu..possibly more). The GOP needs only one more vote to make this work and they are very, very close.
Granted the debate could shift as we move further into this, and even if the nuclear option passes it's no guarantee that the courts will be cowed into submission. But it is another slip, step, slouch toward a more all powerful federal government that will permeate all aspects of our lives. Needless to say, if the Hagel news is true, it's bad....
Last week I joked that we should all stock up on condoms, liquor and porn...today I'm not joking...stock up people the mullahs are coming.
Nebraska papers are reporting that Senator Hagel, who as recently as yesterday was leaning against voting to end judicial filibusters, has announced that he will vote for Frist's proposal. If that is true, it leaves littel wiggle room for Dems. and moderate Rs to broker a deal. The current whip count, by my estimation is at 49 in favor, 48 against (All D's plus Snowe, Chaffee, Collins) and 3 undecideds (Warner, Specter, Sununu..possibly more). The GOP needs only one more vote to make this work and they are very, very close.
Granted the debate could shift as we move further into this, and even if the nuclear option passes it's no guarantee that the courts will be cowed into submission. But it is another slip, step, slouch toward a more all powerful federal government that will permeate all aspects of our lives. Needless to say, if the Hagel news is true, it's bad....
Last week I joked that we should all stock up on condoms, liquor and porn...today I'm not joking...stock up people the mullahs are coming.
