How the Repubs blew their lead
Posted by Richard on April 22, 2005
Captain Ed’s latest post on the judicial nominations provides the best brief history of Republican incompetence and squandered opportunity that I’ve read (emphases added):
Three months ago, Frist had these votes locked up, fresh off a resounding win in November 2004 and the eight-seat swing to the GOP it produced in the Senate. The Senate Democrats had started the session badly, enhancing their reputation as radical loonies as they embarassed themselves by challenging Ohio’s electors for no good reason except to bitch about losing the election and to complain about supposed voting irregularities in cities and precincts controlled by Democrats. After the ever-courageous Mark Dayton made a rare public appearance in DC to blow all precedents of courtesy and call Condoleezza Rice a liar during a Senate debate on her nomination, the American electorate understood that Democrats planned on simple-minded obstructionism for its own sake and for a few cheap headlines.
A funny thing happened on the way to restoring the Constitutional process, however; the GOP sat on the ball, a tactic well known by Minnesota Vikings fans, and one that practically guarantees a loss. This allowed the media to get back into the game, pushing the GOP around the field by constantly referring to their efforts as "radical", "extremist", and their nominees as "out of the mainstream" — even though Brown, for one, overwhelmingly won re-election to her Supreme Court post in California, hardly a bastion of conservative electors. Now the more moderate Republicans in the caucus have lost their intestinal fortitude for standing up for due process and the reputations of their nominees, or at least they had up to now.
Unfortunately, this vote will not take place now. The GOP had to schedule more pressing business before the recess in the first week of May. The emergency? The new highway bill. You all recall when we fought to expand the GOP majority in the Senate to get that highway bill passed, right? That legislation inspired all of us to donate money that could have gone to family vacations and to assist others in our community to the NRSC instead in 2002 and 2004 … right?
That’s what Frist and the GOP leadership expects you to believe now, apparently.
Effin’ unbelievable. The old joke is right: the evil party and the stupid party.
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