Senate Leadership?

The Senate Republicans and their leadership have walked themselves into a familiar trap. Just like southern Democrats, northeastern Republicans are a breed a part. Now the disease that infects our comrades in the northeast, like all viruses, is spreading west. The esteemed Senator from Arizona, John McCain, has a bad case.

These tendencies of the liberal wing of the republican party are well known to all, but the Senate leadership, which has steered itself into a box on judicial nominations. Is this tight little club from the northeast simply going through the time honored tradition of extracting a pound or two of pork or other favors on pet legislation? I don't know the answer to this question, but I do know that every time the going has gotten tough on conservative issues, these people always get up and get going away from the mainstream of the party. The final result of each of these breakdowns has been a handcuffing of the Republican agenda in the Senate, and a loss of seats in following elections.

Given the corner that the Republicans have painted themselves into, there is no alternative for the party other than to come together and break the filibuster on judicial nominations. If they don't accomplish this, there will be no incentive for the Democrats to give up this avenue of attack.

Some argue that breaking the filibuster rule will be used in the future by the Democrats if the balance of power shifts. This would be a good argument if the Republicans were ever willing to use this tactic, but they have not.

The time has come for Republican leadership to sit on those that are waffling and get this vote done. For those Senators that are unwilling to vote with the party on this matter it is time for them to decide which party they will caucus with from this point on. If they are not going to support the party's agenda, we need to consider sending them somewhere else so we can start building a strong party that will be true to our core principles.