If the nuclear option had happened ...?

[kentuck]

What would we be saying today? They would have voted for Priscilla Owen but they would probably have kept going since they were on a roll. They would have taken each of those judges one by one and what would we have been saying? "Those $*%#@!& !! The voters will have to vote them out in the next election but they are so busy watching Survivor and reality shows that they don't even know what is going on...they could care less. What do we do now? But at least we stood by our principles - whatever those were - and the Repubs have firmly taken over every branch of government. We are screwed!"

Perhaps someone would post another scenario? :)

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. No that sounds about right from here.

By November 2006, this will all have been forgotten. Public opinion might be in our favor on this, sure, but they don't care all that much.

[CWebster]

2. At least we wouldn't have any doubt

about where we really stand anymore.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

3. Please, you've been saying that forever now.

I still know where we stand. Never forgot.

[Rowdyboy]

4. James Dobson would be high-fiving Bill Frist 'cause glory days

are here at last! Instead, Dobson is bitter and Frist is a whiny loser. Now 7 Republican senators have stood up to Cheney/Rove and declared they weren't necessarily gonna goose-step behind the administration.

[RaleighNCDUer]

5. And what makes you think they are not going to get all of their

judges anyway? We did NOTHING to prevent it -- and we didn't even "save" the fillibuster because we promised to use it only in extraordinary circumstances -- and nothing will be more extraordinary than these judgeships being granted to unqualifed ideologues.

If we had held firm, and they tried to push it through, we could have moved to the next level and shut down congress. Shut down the government until they agreed to work with us in good faith.

When republicans compromise, they take less than everything they want. When dems compromise, we give less than everything the republicans want.

They still take, we still give, and WE LOSE.

[kentuck]

6. Shut down the government ?

I don't think so. That would be a death wish.

They may get all their judges yet. The Democrats bought some time but if the 14 Senators hold, it makes it very tough on the Bush agenda. I think that is a better option than shutting down the government. There was no simple solution, unfortunately.

[RaleighNCDUer]

7. If we make it clear that it is their ideologically driven intransigence

that causes it, why not shut it down?

All that the 7 repubs did was make it possible to avoid the showdown. If it had come to the showdown, how many of them might have broken ranks with that, causing a REAL rift in the enemy ranks?

Playing for time only works if you've got something better down the road. I've seen no sign of it.

The only way to stop a bully is to stand up to him. And it doesn't hurt if you make him think that you are crazy enough to tear into him, no matter how big he is.

We need pit bulls, not chihuahuas.

[tritsofme]

8. The shutdown really worked well for Newt & Co.

The Republicans and their media machine would be everywhere talking about "shutting down the federal government in a time of war" even though through the scope of our shutdown that would be a dishonest statement.

Democrats would be seen in a bad light and as childish, not the Republicans.

A shutdown would also give Republicans a big issue to campaign with in 2006 so they could once again overlook a failed war, and economy that is still hurting.

[kentuck]

9. "If we make it clear..."

And how do we do that ?

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with you. Before the "gang of 14" came together, I was in agreement that we should stand our ground, because there was no other option. However, when the moderate Repubs split from their Party, however fleeting, it was worth the gamble to stop the Bush blitzkrieg that was underway. There was little chance that they could not get 51 votes for just about anything they wanted. In my opinion, it would have been short-sighted and foolish not to take advantage of the opportunity that arose with the breakaway of the seven Repubs. I cannot think of another realistic scenario that would have been better.