Short Lived Truce Indeed

That did not last long. But did any “right” thinking person really think it would? So much for all the good will and praise espoused by the 7 dwarves x 2. They spoke of their wants and dreams and aspirations. Did they bother to talk about the fact that Republicans and Democrats have differing agendas and there is no place for a moderate agenda on either side? This harmony and truce on a filibuster had about as much chance of succeeding as a Palestinian-Israeli cease fire.

So much for the era of good feeling in the U.S. Senate. After weeks of fighting, a pact among Republican and Democratic moderates to forestall a meltdown over judicial nominees seemed to hold promise for a new period of cooperation.

Three days later Democrats united to delay the confirmation of John R. Bolton as U.N. ambassador, and the recriminations started right up again.

“This filibuster is particularly disheartening after all the expressions of good faith,” said Sen. Jon Kyl

How anyone thought that the filibuster compromise was accomplishing anything but delaying the inevitable is beyond me. Moderates, welcome to a place I like to call Earth.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, called the deal by 14 senators a “truce, not a treaty,” suggesting that the nuclear option — the catch phrase for a Republican proposal to strip Democrats of their right to block final votes on judicial nominees — can be taken off the shelf.

The Bolton block by Senate Democrats is rather peculiar seeing that just a couple of days ago they were singing a different song.

Democrats agreed on Tuesday to clear the way for the Senate to vote on the controversial nomination of John Bolton as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, which was expected to pass mainly on party lines.

The Senate is to open debate on Wednesday on Bolton, the top U.S. diplomat for arms control and outspoken critic of the United Nations, who has been described by President Bush as the right man to press for reforms at the world body.

Well we all know what happened on Thursday when the Cloture Vote on John Bolton failed. “The honeymoon is over,” Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) said sharply as he left the floor moments after senators voted 56 to 42 in favor of ending debate on Bolton’s nomination. Do you think moderate Republicans like the 7 dwarves can start acting like Republicans and understand that the words and promises of Senate Democrats cannot be trusted? Personally I think they are hopeless. I guess they enjoy being played for the fool.