A Caveat

All posts to this blog by Chris Woods, myself, and others in the past and in the future should not be considered as a representation of the official view of Drake Democrats as an organization unless such a statement has been approved by our membership and executive council. In such a case, the post would be marked as such. Carry on. :-)

A Great Day

As we all now know, the crisis over the filibuster in the U.S. Senate has now been averted after a deal was struck among 14 Senators (7 Democrats and 7 Republicans) involving an agreement to allow a vote for cloture on the nominations of Owen, Brown, and Pryor in exchange for not changing the Senate rules to eliminate the filibuster for judicial nominees in the future.

While the pundits argue over who wins and loses by this agreement, I look on in admiration of those 14 Senators who had the willingness to engage in the art of compromise. Neither side of a battle wins completely when a compromise occurs. That's the whole point! Both sides have to be willing to give up something in order to reach a decision that is in the best interest of the common good.

However, the American people as a whole, who really are not a part of this battle between the extremes, are the real winners today. The institution of the U.S. Senate as a whole has been protected and preserved by the actions of these Senators, and that consequence is in our long-term best interest as a collective people. The balance of power among the branches of government and between the two parties of our American political system is a crucial component to the continuation of democracy in America.

Given all I have stated, we should not fool ourselves into thinking that a situation such as that which has been averted will not possibly occur again at some point. After all, the passions that brought about this deal can (and undoubtedly will) fade with time, personal political motivations will once again rise to the surface, and men and women who possess high regard for the common good and respect for our institutions may not be in a position of power as this group was today. Furthermore, in a more practical sense, squabbles over the definition of "extraordinary circumstances" may prove to be too much for some level of civility to be maintained and for the compromise of today to hold up.

Nonetheless, I think we should be satisfied with today's developments and hope that this situation serves as a reminder to those who represent us in Washington that their purpose is one that extends beyond themselves and beyond this time in support of a higher ideal.

A compromise has been reached

Here are the details from CNN:

"Under the deal, judicial nominees would only be filibustered "under extraordinary circumstances," McCain said.

McCain said the group of 14 pledged to vote for cloture -- an end to debate -- for three judicial nominees: Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor and Priscilla Owen.

He said the group made no commitment to vote for or against cloture on two nominees, William Myers and Henry Saad."

Seems like a good deal for Democrats, so far.

The full text of the memo can be found here in html, or in PDF here.

Filibusters and the Nuclear Option

The Nuclear Option (changing the Senate rules by breaking them) to end filibusters on judicial nominees will most likely be launched on Tuesday. To discover more about the events surrounding this debate, as well as what the Nuclear Option really is, visit my weblog, The Political Forecast.

On a more important note, any Drake Democrats who are still in Des Moines this summer, please come up to Iowa State University in Ames on Monday to join part in their student emergency filibuster to protest Senator Frist's use of the nuclear option. If you can't make it, you can follow along with their adventures and stories at their blog: ISU Filibuster.

Have a great summer!

Well, since it looks like everyone's Finals are now completely over and everyone is headed back home, I'd just like to take the time to wish everyone a safe and fun summer, more fun than safe!

I'm not sure how much blogging will be taking place here, but I'll do what I can with issues that effect Democrats here at Drake and in central Iowa.

If you're looking for a constant national politics read, check out my weblog The Political Forecast.