I guess the Republican Senators finished their 30+ hour Whine-A-Thon this week.

Now, don't get me wrong -- I am pretty outraged that a minority of members of the Senate are blocking Bush's judicial appointments and tainting the process by forcing Bush to promote less conservative judges. And I understand that the Republicans did the same thing to Clinton. That doesn't make it right.

Part of the problem, in my opinion, is the notion of "Senatorial courtesy". The idea is that, since all the Senators have to work together, and they all have particular pet projects, one must be polite to other Senators and refrain from any "heavy handed" tactics.

Of course, "heavy handed tactics" means pretty much anything that annoys Ted Kennedy (D- Chappaquidic) or Robert Byrd (KKK- West Va.). So, Republicans keep whining about the Rules, and Senatorial privileges, and being stonewalled, and the Democrats keep winning battles.

This latest fiasco is more of the same. Republican Senators claimed they were holding this marathon session to talk about how unfair the Democrats are being to these judicial nominees.

Here in Dallas, I heard our Senator, Kay Bailey Hutchison, give an interview in which she stated that she hoped this marathon session would get the Democrats to bring these nominees to a vote. Fat chance, Senator Hutchison. All you did was provide an amusing spectacle for our ideological opponents on the left. Republicans talked, and talked, and talked, and talked, and whined, and pleaded, and lectured, and talked, and talked some more.

The Democrats, when all was said and done, leaned back in their chairs, and declared victory. And, they were right.

Back in the days of yore, filibusters were filibusters. They were marathon sessions, and Senators did not dare to leave because a vote could be called at any time. They disrupted schedules, fundraising events, "fact-finding missions", family time, and everything else outside of the Senate chamber. These events STOPPED the lives of the Senators, until one side caved in.

Now, however, all it takes is the threat of a filibuster from Tom Daschle (weasel -- S.D.), and the Republicans cave in.

I used to believe the problem was with Senator Lott (R - Toupee, MS) as Majority Leader. I thought he and Bob Dole (R-takeyourownshot here) were both too entrenched, too collegiate in their attitudes. I had hoped that Maj. Leader Frist R-TN) was made of sterner stuff.

I was wrong. Until this group of Republicans can learn to exercise the rules of the Senate for their benefit in the same deliberate and decisive manner the Democrats do, we will not begin to turn back the tide. We will continue to lose judicial nominees, and will continue to have unelected leftists in the Federal judicial branch stretch and mutate our culture beyond recognition.

A pox on all their houses.

Steve
- posted by MrSpkr @ 13:18