Another FOX Guest Threatens To Eliminate Filibuster Rule
Reported by Ellen - November 15, 2004 -
I'm sensing a pattern here. For the second time in two days, a prominent Republican has gone on FOX News to threaten eliminating the filibuster rule in the Senate. This one was John Thune, Republican Senator-Elect from South Dakota. He appeared on After Hours with Cal Thomas Saturday night, November 13.
Like his Republican brethren, Thune made it clear that the aim of the Democratic party should be to go along with the Republicans. In addition to stating that he would support an end to the filibuster rule, Thune said, "When it comes to judicial nominations, you know, it's clear that the Constitution you know, meant that we needed to get these judges as they're nominated by the President and disposed of by the Senate... A strengthened majority sends a strong message that the obstructionist tactics in using the rules of the Senate in a way that really is unprecedented in the nation's history - isn't going to work and if you do that, you're going to pay a political price... So I think that the election this year was important in sending that message and I hope that will enable us not only to get judges through and perhaps to have a change of the rules when it comes to judges but also to move the rest of our agenda."
Comment: Cal Thomas never asked about the obstructionist tactics used against Clinton. I guess they weren't unconstitutional when it was the shoe on the other foot. Far more of Clinton's judicial nominees were blocked than Bush's but for some reason that doesn't count in the Republican/FOX view of Congress. Nor, apparently, does the Republican shut-down engineered by Newt Gingrich. I hope this latest take-no-prisoners approach works as well for this crop of Republicans as it did for Gingrich's.
Listen up, Democrats, the Republicans are planning on playing hardball and you'd better be in shape for the game.
