Tuesday, December 13, 2005
The Big Cheese Stands Alone
The Senate has turned up the heat. Republicans may be in power; they may threaten the nuclear option of detonating the filibuster, but Democratic Senator Byrd stepped up to the plate this week threatening "If the senator wants a fight, let him try. I'm 88 years old but I can still fight and fight I will for freedom of speech," Byrd said. This in response to Majority Leader Frist’s preemptive warning that he will attempt to erase or heavily restrict the filibuster should the Democrats attempt to use it to block Alito. Frist said, "Supreme Court justice nominees deserve an up-or-down vote, and it would be absolutely wrong to deny him that."
Where has Frist been for the last few months? Members of his own party, the Republicans, wailed and called so loudly for Miers to withdraw her nomination to the Supreme Court. They wouldn’t allow her an up or down vote. Where was Frist’s nuclear option when Republicans wouldn’t give Miers an up or down vote?
I understand that Frist called upon Senators to come to the Floor to support Miers in the height of the scandal, but has he yet noticed that he is alone. Did he notice that only one other senator answered this call for public support on the Senate floor? And what of his double standard? Why the incredibly inflammatory rhetoric even before Democrats consider a filibuster on Alito while standing idly by as Republicans scream to avoid a vote on Miers?
This is a double standard at best and most likely outright hypocrisy. The rules and regulations of Congress exist in order to provide mechanisms to tie up legislation. If a simple majority of voters can turn any bill into law, what is to stop 51 Senators from logrolling or passing a bill that is actually bad for America but good for the Senators themselves or their individual constituencies.
The point is, how dare Republicans threaten to remove a traditional and important elements of the legislative process just because they are annoyed at Democrats use of obstructionist techniques, espessially when Republicans use similar tactics just as often.
