Hugh Hewitt asked if the GOP should emulate George McClellan or U.S. Grant regarding the unresolved issue of judicial filibusters. Well, this guy would actually be the first one who comes to my mind, but Grant would be an excellent choice as well.
The GOP has bent over backwards to be diplomatic in dealing with this situation, and all attempts for a peaceful resolution have been rebuffed. No amount of hearings and discussion will encourage the Democrats to give up these filibusters . The longer this goes on, the bolder the Democrats become. As evidence of this, the Democrats now talk about filibustering any bill to reform Social Security that includes private accounts. This needs to stop, and it needs to stop now.
My suggestion is that the “nuclear option” be used as soon as possible and that it be used specifically for the nomination of Janice Brown to the DC Circuit Court. Let the Democrats express outrage at the use of the nuclear option in order to gain a well qualified African-American woman her well deserved judicial apppointment. Let us see how well that will play with the majority of the public. While I would normally be opposed to playing these kinds of games, the Democrats have promised nothing but further obstructionism , and it’s time to stop pussyfooting around.
Yes, the Democrats have promised that they would be even more obstructionist than they already are being, even to the point of shutting the Senate down completely. When Gingrich did this it blew up in his face. Most of the public held the GOP responsible for the shutdown, so there’s a good chance that public opinion would be against the Democrats.
However, the problem is that the Republicans are the ones with all the initiative now. We need to pass Social Security reform, make the tax cuts permanent, pass medical malpractice reform and prosecute the war on terror. The Democrats have no initiative. All they’re interested in is obstructing the GOP agenda. So to a certain extent, letting them shut the Senate down plays into their hands, and puts the onus on the GOP to make the public understand that the Democrats are the bad guys. That being said, it’s a risk that the GOP needs to take.
