George Will is sort of right

I don't read George Will much, mainly because his choice of language is designed to make you think he is more intelligent than he really is. However, his recent column in the Washington Post is worth a gander.

Will comes out against the GOP Senate from invoking the nuclear option. This is the option in which the GOP effectivly eliminates the filibuster as a technique to blocking judicial nominees, something that the Democrats have used to stop 10 of Bush's most controversial nominations to the Judiciary. Some of the offenses of these ten include standing in opposition to all labor laws (including child labor), one stating that a woman must be subject to a man (what are we, the Taliban?), one who opposes zoning laws (a basic function of localities and one of th ebuilding blocks of our economic infrastructure), and even one who had the gall to say that slavery was 'God's gift to white man'.

If you think these are legitimate positions on the political spectrum, please raise your hand.

In any event, George Will neglects to mention the reasons why Democrats have filibustered this nominees. He does however point out that conservative arguments that all nominees must reach a vote fly in the face of the Constitution. He leaves out the fact that the GOP prevented 60 of Clinton's nominees from seeing the floor of the Senate. And Will also points out that there will be a Democratic President and Democratic Senate in the future (which I fear may be the only argument that some in the GOP understand, but I suspect they have some faith that they'll never lose power too).

George Will's solution of course is to elect more Republicans. The very people who in their drive for power are willing to throw away one of the foundations of our Democracy (a point even Will makes) are the very same people that Will ostensibly wants in power. Why? Because they will interpret the Constitution properly. Hello, these are the same people you are accusing of not interpreting the Constitution properly only a few paragraphs ago! Making Cognitize Dissoance sound intelligent is one of Will's fortes.

Will this strategy backfire on the Democrats? That depends on a few things. The DEmocratic Party would need to completely fumble its message delivery on this one, and so far, they have not done so. Reid is far more disciplined a leader than Dashle was, and has shown he is a fighter who stands up for his values. That gains respect, and votes. Couple that with only a few vulnerable Democratic seats next year, and you do not have the makings of a big GOP pick up.

My hope is that the GOP will ultimately flinch on this, or that enough moderate GOPers will defect on this issue that the GOP will not be able to reach a majority in favour of the nuclear option. So far, that possibility is not knowable, as all those involved are very tight lipped.