Going Nuclear

You know, the best thing about those conservatives is the way they want to preserve America's traditional ways of doing things. They are standing steadfast against the changes that threaten to doom our way of life.

WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist wants to change the way the Senate ends debate on nominees in order to jumpstart confirmations of some of President Bush's long-stalled judicial picks.

However, when a vote may come on the plan is anybody's guess.

Frist, R-Tenn., has proposed a resolution that would gradually reduce the number of votes needed for the Senate to reach cloture -- or limit discussion -- from 60 to 51 during debate on nominations. Saying the rules need to change with the times, Frist said that "a problem has emerged and there is an announced threat it will spread."

"If we do not fix it now, filibustering nominations will become a new Senate tradition," Frist said last month.

That's right, the right of unlimited debate in the Senate that has existed since the dawn of the Republic needs to be "fixed." That Senate tradition that we somehow managed with during fights over slavery, and the Compromises of the divisive pre-Civil War era (when we didn't even have ANY cloture) has to "change with the times."

Isn't it surprising how we managed to get through all the years between 1918 and 1975 with a requirement of a two-thirds vote for cloture. I guess there were no divisive issues during that time, huh? No wars, or economic crises, or revolutionary social changes, for example. (The rule was changed to three-fifths in 1975, which explains why I've been confused lately, having learned it during the 60s.) As I recall, the 60s was a particularly calm period in our history. So no wonder it hasn't been "fixed" yet.

Perhaps someone could explain to Dr. Frist that, if the President nominated someone who wasn't prejudiced on certain issues, and extremely right-wing, he wouldn't have to worry about getting a mere three-fifths, much less leaning on Mr. Specter.

But really, he doesn't even need that. Do you think it would really be that hard to scrape up the extra 5 votes he'll need, assuming he can keep his party in line? You mean to tell me that, in the most pork-happy Congress in decades, he just can't even be bothered to cut a few deals with moderate Democrats? I think he could find someone willing to trade a new Air Force Base, or a couple of freeways for a vote. I believe that's the way such things are traditionally handled, in what is historically called "compromise." If he got off his damn butt, he could end a filibuster on anyone this side of Genghis Khan in a couple of hours. Sad, but true. He's just too lazy.

Instead, he's willing to scrap one of the Senate's proudest traditions. Did he never see 'Mr. Smith goes to Washington'? Or is it that he identified with the corrupt boss politician? Lazy and venal.

This move is nicknamed the "nuclear option," because using it would not only destroy any hope of compromise on anything for generations, it would ultimately be self-destructive. Destroying protections for the minority comes back to haunt you when you are in the minority.

But that assumes Frist believes that the Republicans will someday lose control of the government. The more I watch, the more convinced I get that they are intending to do what it takes to make sure that never happens.

That is what "conservative" means in Washington these days.