Democrats Break Centuries of Senate Tradition with Nuclear Rules Change

Further weakening our constitutional system of checks and balances!

In 2007 Senator John McCain visited Mike's America's community for a small party meet and greet. I had the opportunity to have a lengthy exchange with him in which I expressed conservative's concerns for his predilection to join with Democrats in what amounts to one way bipartisanship (Democrats get what they want, Republicans get a press conference).

In particular we discussed the 2005 Gang of 14 deal in which McCain and Sen. Lindsey Graham and others agreed to drop any discussion of the nuclear option which would have changed Senate rules regarding judicial filibuster if Democrats accepted three judges and rejected others.

McCain was very vocal in defense of this deal and in a rather testy voice told me:

"I shudder to think what would happen if we had pulled the trigger on the nuclear option and one day Hillary Clinton was appointing judges." He asked me: "would your blogging friends still want to blow up the Senate if Hillary Clinton was in charge?"

Well now Obama is in charge and Senate Democrats have rejected every appeal by McCain to preserve Senate traditions and changed the filibuster rule to require only a simple majority for judicial confirmations. I'll be writing to both Senators McCain and Graham to remind them of their past efforts and ask them how they defend their past action to restrain Republicans in light of this event.

What's more is the lack of positive results in other areas where Sens. McCain and Graham have taken a lead. Both were very committed to finding out the truth of what happened in Benghazi yet there they were in an Oval Office meeting with Obama and National Security Advisor Susan Rice discussing Syria and neither took the occasion to turn to Rice and ask who told her to repeat the big lie that an Internet video was responsible for the attack or ask Obama why he failed to send help during the attack and why additional security prior was not sent.

I can only imagine that when Republicans do retake control of the Senate both McCain and Graham will request that the old rule be restored in yet another vain attempt to demonstrate bipartisanship. It’s clear from results that both McCain and Graham are more concerned with their own ego and less with protecting the interests of their constituents. It’s time both were replaced with new faces unwilling to be used as pawns by Democrats!

Let's remember what Democrats said then and now: