The short-lived excitement over Johnny Isakson and the ‘nuclear option’

It seemed like a reasonable assumption. With all the talk in the Senate about Dems’ “obstructionism,” Bush’s renewed nominations for very controversial would-be judges, and daily speculation about the “nuclear option,” it seemed very encouraging when Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-GA) took to the Senate floor to praise filibusters.

“And even though the results of the election were not complete at the time we were there, we knew they would be in a minority, and we asked, ‘Don’t you fear that the Shiites inevitably being in the majority, that you will be overturned?’

“[Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Saleh] says, ‘Oh, no we have a secret weapon.’ Mr. President, this is a Kurdish Leader in the middle of Iraq in the 21st Century who said he had a secret weapon. And when we asked what it was, he said one word: ‘Filibuster’.”

Isakson went on to praise Iraq for basing their government on American democracy and using the filibuster as “the way they would ensure that the majority never overran the minority.”

Given the political troubles in the Senate, it sounded like Isakson was prepared to join the handful of Republican lawmakers opposed to changing the chamber’s filibuster rules. It was particularly surprising in light of the source: Isakson’s pedigree includes replacing Newt in the House, and Zell Miller in the Senate. With this in mind, Harry Reid’s office jumped on Isakson’s comments as a sign of fleeting conservative support for the “nuclear option.”

Alas, it was all for naught. Within a few hours, Isakson was clarifying his point, insisting that he only really supports filibusters for the minority in Iraq, not the U.S. Congress.

“My good friend Harry Reid appears to have construed a quote from a Kurdish leader to reflect my opinion on the Senate Democrats’ abuse of the filibuster to block judicial nominations. Let there be no reservation or doubt that I believe the Senate should vote on each and every judicial appointment made by the President of the United States and that no rule or procedure should ever stop the Senate from exercising its constitutional responsibility.”

In Iraq, Republicans don’t ever want a minority party to be “overrun” by the majority. In Congress, they insist upon it.