ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Posted in Senate Rules — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

An article in The Hill reports that Senator Rick Santorum is backpedalling on the move toward a showdown on the judicial filibuster issue. The main reason seems to be poll results that are being kept under wraps.

Here's the main way the GOP is erring, in my opinion: instead of saying that judicial nomination filibusters will be eliminated, the GOP obviously should be saying that nomination filibusters simply have to be limited, to a year for example. NO AVERAGE AMERICAN IN HIS OR HER RIGHT MIND WOULD OPPOSE SHUTTING UP SENATORS AFTER AN ENTIRE YEAR ALLOWED FOR FLOOR DEBATE ON A NOMINATION.

I would bet a million bucks that the GOP's poll didn't ask people whether they would support limiting nomination filibusters to a year, or to some other plentiful period of time. If I'm correct about this, then the GOP's poll is basically worthless, and therefore postponing a showdown might well be a mistake.

UPDATE: Power Liine comments.

UPDATE #2: Santorum denies it.