Who is Going Nuclear?

We’ve heard all this talk about the Republicans’ threat to invoke the so-called “nuclear option,” meaning they will change the Senate rules on vote closure to prevent filibusters on judicial nominees. As I’ve written before, there is nothing “nuclear” about such a change that would merely restore majority rule to judicial confirmations, as was always intended. But that hasn’t stopped Democrats from their feigned outrage over this proposed rule change — a proposed change brought about solely by their consistent hostility and abuse of power.

Now Democrats have gotten themselves all worked up into a tizzy again just thinking about those dastardly Republicans even considering such an audacious move. It’s amusing to watch them play the victim role here as they attempt to paint Republicans as the aggressors. Democrats now say they are “not going to cut and run” from a battle over the president’s judicial nominees — as if anyone thought they would; as if anyone thought they would be collegial for a change.

No, by golly, Senator Harry Reid said, “If they bring back the same judges we’re going to do the same thing.”

In other words, if President Bush has the temerity to appoint judges who would interpret the Constitution according to the framers’ original intent, the Democrats will obstruct. They regard it as their sacred duty to protect the Constitution from the poisonous ideas of those who formulated it in the first place. No Sir. Democrats want to ensure that the Constitution is a forever changing, growing document, always gravitating toward the liberal worldview. And they are going to be really mad if they don’t get their way.