Calling Mr. Smith
The Senate is going to the floor over Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown. Harry Reid is calling for support. There's been a lot of debate over Frist's going "nuclear" over judicial nominations, but this isn't about whether or not filibustering is just a rule, and it's not about judges being entitled to a straight yes or no vote, and it's not even really about the role of the Senate to advise and consent to Presidential nominations. This is about power: who's got it and who's entitled to use it. Bill Frist believes the Republicans have all the power and that the Democrats should just shut up while he and Bush revise the governance of the country. That's not what an opposition is for, and the GOP only have a majority, much different from being in total control. Frist's extremist cohorts may muster the vote to push through on these candidates, but what they really want is to control the vote when the next Supreme Court vacancies occur, and there's going to be one sooner rather than later. Rehnquist may just be waiting for the opportunity at this point to ensure his successor - we already know how political he is. Fight the power.