The Filibuster Remains. . .

Any Way You Look At It, Bush Gets His Judges - And A Cowed Promise
by The Old Hippie Because Sometimes Winning. . . Is Losing

The breaking news is the filibuster has been "saved," by a compromise that is like there was not a filibuster in the first place.  The "compromise" is that Bush gets all three of the radical judges, Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor confirmed to be federal appeals court judges.  For life.

Not only those three, but also the "compromise," by the loyal "opposition" Democrats, would pledge not to filibuster any of Bush's future appeals court, or Supreme Court nominees, except in "extraordinary circumstances."

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = 
R-I-G-H-T - - Like the first three alone weren't "extraordinary" enough.  What is coming, in the near future, i.e. judges to be given lifetime positions of power is going to be even more "extraordinary" - but un-opposed - by the now proven cowed, and cowardly, loyal "opposition" Democrats.

Yes - The filibuster survived, but at what costs to American Constitutional Democracy?  Is there anyone out there, right or left, that doesn't realize that this "compromise" will be pushed/abused to the absolute limit of insane by this administration?

Filibusters, or the threat of them, are routinely used to derail or force compromise on legislation.  Yet they rarely figured in consideration of judicial nominees until Bush took office in 2001.

The first three judges alone would never have even been considered, in any other Senate in America's 228 year history, but yet they now - for life - sit on the federal appeals court, and a "promise" of no further real opposition to Bush's future judicial appointments.

It's like the filibuster was done away with anyway - It exist in name only - This "compromise" promised Bush that the filibuster would not be used against his future appointments, (except in , {ahem,} "extraordinary" circumstances.)  They won again - They get their radical ideological judges anyway.

This senate has no more power to stop the ideological fundamentalist corporatist imperials now, than the senate did in Rome at the end of their Republic, nor the German government did against the Nazi fascists in the 30's.

If you believe this isn't a major step in the continuing destruction of the American Constitutional Democracy, you live in denial of history, of current events, and the reality around you.  Like so many my age, I really did not think I would live long enough to see America's Constitution Democracy be destroyed from within, by domestic enemies. . .  but it seems I have, after all.