The LiberalOasis Blog
The daily view from the oasis

May 24, 2005 PERMALINK
The Corporate Conservatives Win
And Other Observations On A Sorry Deal (posted May 24 2:15 AM ET)

1. LiberalOasis has been noting since last April that the two cornerstones of the GOP base, the corporate conservatives and the fringe fundamentalists, were putting conflicting pressures on the party.

Both want radical right-wing judges quite badly.

But business-friendly legislation has been flowing out of Congress, and corporate cons feared the nuclear option would shut off the tap.

While the fringe fundamentalists feel they haven't gotten theirs from Congress anyway, and didn't care so much if the Senate shut down.

The word in early April was that the corporate cons were going to win out. This caused the fringe fundamentalists to quadruple their efforts.

The corporate cons should thank them for that.

Because in early April, it looked like not only would the nuclear option remain in the holster, but that all seven "do-over" judicial nominations (ones that already had been blocked in the previous Congress) would keep getting filibustered.

Now, thanks to the added pressure, enough Dems capitulated for a few more radical right-wing judges to get lifetime appointments (exactly how many is a little unclear at this writing).

So the corporate cons get more lobbyist-drafted legislation and a few more judges to boot.

Some deal.

2. Some Dems and liberals seem to be taking solace in that the filibuster was saved, the fringe fundamentalists are livid and Bill Frist looks weak.

All those sentiments are misguided.

Yes, we saved the filibuster. But what good is saving it if Dems never have the spine to use it when it's needed to protect the public?

Seven Dems have now proclaimed that it will only be used in "extraordinary circumstances."

And those same seven have in effect said that Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor - nominees as radical as they come - are not extraordinary.

Yes, some of the contested nominees will be formally filibustered and then withdrawn (and one might even be voted down on the floor.)

But does anyone believe Bush will replace those failed nominees with impartial nominees?

When Miguel Estrada was successfully blocked from a seat on the second most-powerful court in the land, did Bush suddenly consult with Dems and make a consensus pick?

Of course not.

He put up Thomas Griffith, whose main qualifications were his willingness to practice law without a license, and his attempts to gut Title IX, the law that ensures equal education opportunities of women and girls.

So when Bush comes right back at the Senate with more radicals, be they for the lower courts or the Supreme Court, not only will Dem hands be damn near tied, but so will their tongues.

Because how can they effectively argue against nominees that are equivalent to whom they have already approved?

And if they try to do so, via the filibuster, the Republicans can easily void the deal and go nuclear anyway.

Some deal.

As far the fringe fundamentalist whining goes, it's fun to watch, but it's no signal of success.

They whine about everything. They thrive on victim status.

Doesn't mean they aren't moving the ball downfield (and with some Dem fingerprints on the ball.)

As far as Frist looking weak, who cares? Frist is a pawn, not the playmaker.

If he's not the '08 GOP nominee, some other schmuck will be. It makes no difference to us.

If there is any political upside it's that the ties between corporate cons and fringe fundamentalists are fraying, and the GOP needs that coalition to stay together.

But LO wouldn't bet too much on that relationship completely breaking, since they both need the GOP too.

3. The mainstream media narrative that LO has been tracking lately, praising compromise and bashing "interest groups," is now in full force.

The compromisers are playing it up, bragging that there is a new "center" in Washington.

And CNN's Aaron Brown and MSNBC's Chris Matthews both crowed that this "center" triumphed over the evil "pressure groups."

But let's be clear.

A judge that continually sides with the corporations that fund her campaigns is not in the center.

A judge who finds the New Deal unconstitutional is not in the center.

A judge who finds the Clean Water Act, the Clean Air Act and the Endangered Species Act unconstitutional is not in the center.

There is no new center in Washington.

It is the same old conservatism with the same old centrist mask.

Our Senate hasn't just moved right-ward,  it's getting uglier by the minute, too!   When John Warner ends up being the "pretty one" in the picture, you know we're in trouble!