Monday
April 4 2005
ARE WE HEADED TOWARD 'LEGISLATIVE ARMAGEDDON?': It looks
that way. In the LA
Times this morning Maura Reynolds reports on the impending
filibuster showdown in the Senate and comes to the following conclusion:
At
the moment, both sides have an interest in appearing stalwart
in the hope the other side will blink.
But
even privately, it's hard to find anyone on Capitol Hill who
can envision a deal that could defuse the conflict.
"I
think we're going to reach a point where there's no alternative,"
[Senator Orrin]Hatch said.
Yesterday
the New
York Times reported Majority Leader Frist is set to offer
some sort of compromise of this week and that Republican leaders
"do not expect a showdown for at least three weeks."
There are
also questions about whether Frist will have the votes to invoke
the "constitutional option" when the time comes. Six
moderate Republicans (Chafee, Snowe, Collins, Hagel, McCain and
Warner) appear to be straddling the fence
It probably
fair to say the Terri Schiavo case complicates matters a bit.
Conservatives who think the Schiavo case was another example of
judicial activism (or tyranny) are more eager than ever to vote
for the rule change. However, moderates who might have been inclined
to vote for it when the argument was clearly framed on the basis
of Democratic obstructionism now have to contend with the perception
that the religious right is trying engineering a take over of
the courts.
I'm not saying
this perception is fair or that it's necessarily strong enough
to scare all of these Senators away, only that the Terri Schiavo
case has changed the dynamics of the debate over judges.
2008
WATCH: Vice President Cheney cannot make it much clearer
than
this:
"I'm
not a candidate, don't plan to be a candidate. If nominated,
I will not run. If elected, I will not serve. Is that the Shermanesque
statement? I said on television someplace the other day, not
only no, but hell no."
Thing can
and do change. Still, I would think this effectively puts an end
to the recent Cheney for 2008 boomlet.
Rudy Giuliani,
on the other hand, is still very much in the running. Close to
4,000 people turned out at the University of Colorado yesterday
to hear Rudy
opine on everything from Ward Churchill to steroids in baseball:
Three
times he brought the audience to its feet for a standing ovation.
Constantly
moving from one side of the stage to the other and using his
hands to emphasize his points, Giuliani told his listeners that
they can't lead without loving people.
It
was a point one supporter threw back at him:
"Do
you love this country enough to want to be president?"
the student asked Giuliani - a man who is at least considering
a bid to succeed President Bush in 2008.
The
question was met with applause, but Giuliani did not take the
bait. Ask him in a year or two, he said.
Last week
the NY Observer ran a hit
piece on Giuliani, rapping him for certain speaking fees and
suggesting that some of the business ties he has developed since
launching Giuliani
Partners could be political liabilities. Let's just say it
was less than persuasive.
Some think
Giuliani doesn't have a prayer of winning the GOP nomination because
of his stand on social issues. Maybe so. I certainly wouldn't
give him good odds in a head-to-head match up with a conservative.
But Giuliani's chances improve if the 2008 race draws a crowded
field of candidates, including a handful who will split the social
conservative vote. - T. Bevan 8:45 am Link
| Email | Send
to a Friend
