A couple of ‘moderates’ fall off the nuclear fence

May 20, 2005

The final vote on the nuclear option, if there is a vote, remains too-close-to-call. Frist still seems a little short of the 50 he needs, but some of the lawmakers who’ve been listed as “on the fence” seem to be falling.

Oregon’s Gordon Smith, for example, is now officially on board with Frist’s scheme.

Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) said he had decided to support the GOP leadership’s move as a way to “reinstate two centuries of tradition of voting up or down on judges.”

This is not, however, a big surprise. There have been multiple reports in recent months in which Smith suggested he’d stay with his party on this issue. It’s disappointing, but Smith was never really considered a “must-get” for Dems.

Chuck Hagel, however, is far more important — and his neutrality seems to be on the wane.

Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., for weeks said he was undecided on whether to back a move by Frist, if it comes. Wednesday, he officially rejected signing on to a compromise.

“I believe that all of the president’s nominees deserve an up or down vote,” Hagel said, quoted by spokesman Mike Buttry. “The agreement that has been proposed calls for three of the president’s nominees not to get a vote. I could not agree to that. That is unfair and it’s not right.”

This is more than just disappointing, it’s also a full-scale reversal.

In January, Bob Novak described Hagel as part of John McCain’s camp, “with Hagel recalling the dark Republican days of the 1970s when only a handful of Republican senators stood up against the Democratic tide.” More recently, Hagel said, “[Y]ou can’t give up a minority rights tool [the filibuster] … you’ve got 100 United States senators. Some of us might be moderately intelligent enough to figure this out. We would, I think, debase our system and fail our country if we don’t do this.”

Perhaps those presidential ambitions are stopping Hagel from doing the right thing?

Notice, the disconcerting quote came from a Hagel staffer, and not the senator himself, so maybe there’s still some consideration underway. But if Hagel sides with Frist, Dems would definitely need Specter and Warner to get to 51.

Frist has scheduled the vote for Tuesday. Stay tuned.

Trent Lott & Thad Cochran wavering?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/20/8505/63099

  • Hagel wants to be president. He needs the votes of Dobson’s followers and their ilk.

    The GOP have hit the vote version of Peak Oil.

    Anybody who wants to be the GOP candidate for president needs to feed The Beast.

    Every day this country is less white, less native born, less Protestant, less straight, less two-point-one-kids and a dog, than it was the day before.

    The only way to for a Republican to win — the popular vote margin in the last two Presidential elections was less than the population of metropolitan Charlotte, NC — is to continue to get a ridiculous, but increasing percentage — 95% — of an otherwise shrinking demographic.

    Pretty soon that won’t even keep it close enough to steal.

    And Hagel is not an idiot. He can do math.

  • No way will Trent Lott & Thad Cochran jump the nuclear ship. The AFA’s located in Tupelo, MS & the natives here (I live in the state) would howl if they didn’t vote w/Frist on this.

  • I was going to call out my senator (Gordon Smith – Oregon) for the statements you cited, but the Washington Post article you indicated it came from doesn’t mention him. I’d like to have at least one false statement to call my senator on. What to do?

  • I said weeks ago that Hagel was a pretender as a “statesman” and an independent thinker, and his actions with respect to Bolton and now the nuclear option are merely the latest manifestations. President? Hah, he bears more resemblence to a waffle iron, its cord securely tied Bush the puppetmaster, than he does to “a man of the people”!

  • who was it that coined the “voinovich” rule? You can say things that look somewhat statesman-like, but you can’t actually cross the thugs in the white house.

  • Collins and Snowe of Maine can still be considered up for grabs on the filibuster issue, at least publicly. However, if they side with the majority on this issue constituent repercussion may be severe. As for John Bolton- Snowe will vote with the democrats. According to a lovely source of mine Collins is ‘likely’ to support the president, but remains extremely tight lipped on the issue, even whem speaking to top staff members.

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