Senate Meltdown

Anybody else amused by the dramatic language spawned from the anti-filibuster [Actually: from the anti-minority party, pro-bullying party] "nuclear option?"

Senate on verge of meltdown
GOP leaders coming close to pulling the trigger on 'nuclear option' to keep Democrats from filibustering president's judicial picks

Regardless, these few sentences describe what this drama is all about:

Three Republicans have already said they are against Frist's filibuster-breaker, but reports indicate six or seven others are on the fence.

They include the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), who last week urged both sides to "cease this aimless game of chicken." Specter questioned efforts by Frist and Reid.

"So far, the offers by both sides have been public relations maneuvers to appear reasonable and to avoid blame and place it elsewhere," he said. "Meanwhile, the far left and the far right are urging each side to shun compromise: pull the trigger, filibuster forever."

The fight over the obscure but politically crucial filibuster rules could affect the makeup of the Supreme Court and future decisions on issues such as abortion, civil rights and government regulation. And a restriction on filibusters could lead to significant change in the Senate, eroding the power of minority and individual members by giving greater control to the majority, experts say.

Which explains why the Republicans are so eager not to allow this chance to pass: the liklihood of a Republican controlled government in all three branches decreases by 2006 [hopefully!]; so the Republicans are worried they won't get the solid chance to make these drastic changes again, while they have complete control. The Democrats, however, have put up more of an obstructionist fight than the Republicans had bargained for.

So much so that the filibuster became the center of conflict- it is the most powerful tool in the minority party belt, because it can be used at those points when all hope for compromise [which is the core of the Democratic system] have dissolved. It's there to protect the right for the minority party to demand compromise.

Which explains why the Republicans hate it so much when it can be used against them.