This oh-so-wonderful "compromise" over the judicial appointees may indeed save your precious filibuster rights, but, in the real world (outside of Washington), all it has done is hasten the overturning of any remaining rights that working people had in this country.

I do not doubt for a second that Janice Rogers-Brown will be confirmed in a narrow majority "up-or-down" vote to be appointed to the federal court of appeals that hears cases related to Congressional legislation. And I do not doubt that, with her firmly placed in such a position, that all sorts of suits will be filed to undermine, undercut or simply eliminate legal protections for workers such as: the minimum wage, the right to organize a union or appeal an unfair labor practice to the National Labor Relations Board (will there even be a NLRB?), the right to a safe workplace, etc.

(I would like to be proven wrong, but I'm about 54-0 on these kind of guesses so far.)

With this compromise, the Senate Dems have succeeded in helping the Bush regime consolidate its corporatist system in the areas that matter. They have aided and abetted Bush's "class warfare" in ways that people have yet to fully understand.

"And what if they didn't compromise?" Well, yeah. What if they didn't compromise? We would have gotten Rogers-Brown, Owen and the others anyway. So, what did you really gain? Nothing ... except the justified contempt of working people.

Enjoy it. Revel in it. Wallow in it.

On May 23, 2005, the Senate Democrats told the working people of the U.S. to drop dead. Don't be surprised if, on November 7, 2006, and Nov. 4, 2008, we working people tell you, "Likewise, I'm sure."

Martin

The Democratic senators in the group agreed that they would only support filibusters of "extreme" candidates. But, in order for the agreement to hold, the Republican senators in the group have to agree with the Democratic senators that the candidate is, in fact, "extreme". But - if these 7 Republicans agree that the candidate is "extreme", they would not vote for him/her, so the filibuster is not needed anyway. Conclusion: the Democrats hold no cards at all.

On the other hand, if the Republican senators in the group think the candidate is not "extreme", they either veto the filibuster or open up the "nuclear" option again. They hold ALL the cards.

Net effect: same thing as before, except now, instead of Democrats having the right to decide to filibuster, the seven Republican senators have the veto power over it.