Mercury Rising

I know that a lot of folks on the progressive side are really upset that this wasn't brought to a big test, and that the price of the likely confirmation of three of Bush's rejected judges is too high a price to pay. But remember this: The Wingies WANTED the Nuclear Option. They really, really wanted it. Any compromise on this is a total and abject betrayal, as far as they are concerned. They told Bill Frist that he could forget about his 2008 presidential plans if he allowed any sort of compromise to go through. Guess what? He did. He had to -- the public was on the side of the Democrats on this issue. Go over and check out FreeRepublic.com -- they are INTENSELY upset over not getting their Nuclear Option! Or better yet, go to this Kos diary, wherein a Kossack has gathered up some Freepers' reactions:

-- I just left the GoP. I'm done with them. Cowards. -- We've been snookered again. Picture Lucy whipping the football out from under Charlie Brown for about the millionth time. -- Who would have ever thought that the GOP Senators would have folded to Democratic Demands? I am Shocked! The last time I was this surprised was this morning when the sun came up. -- The GOP is now dead to me. Bill Frist....ah why even bother.. -- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! -- Bill Frist cannot control the RINO's in the Senate. The Democrats win again. -- What the HELL is this???????? We don't need a deal!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am furious. I will NOT SEND ANY MORE MONEY TO THE REPUBS. We didn't NEED a deal and we don't WANT a deal!!! -- I mailed my change of registration in this morning. Welcome to the growing ranks of the unaffiliated. -- This is a sad day for the Republican party, and the conservative movement in this country! The Dems will likely gain in Congress in 2006 because of this kind of cowardice. What's the matter with you folks in Arizona????? Is McCain the best you can do?? -- It seems like Frist wouldn't have to votes to stop a potential filibuster on a SCOTUS nominee. -- Underneath the chestnut tree; The Republicans sold you, and the GOP sold me. -- Not another frigging dime or a minute of my time, I stay home in 06' or vote libertarian. Unfreakin believable -- If this is true it is truly an outrage. The only deal is the one the crats got. Everything they wanted. We got nothing. Only thing to do now is support a third party that can hopefully pick up 10-15% of the vote and use it as leverage to bargain. -- Republican moderate - horse sugar! What a bunch of stupid little pricks. -- Go to the National Republican Senatorial Committee to voice your outrage. Below is my letter: The “Republican” senators I helped get into the majority have compromised on President Bush’s judicial nominations. I will tell every Republican I know not to contribute one thin dime to the NRSC ever again. We in the grassroots worked our tails off for this majority and McCain et al., have betrayed us, our president and his future Supreme Court nominees. I hope you realize that the NRSC will starve for funds for the foreseeable future. The 55-Senator GOP majority wasn’t worth our effort. The RINOs made a disgusting mistake taking us for granted.

You have no idea how hard Dobson and Company have been pushing Frist for weeks not to even THINK of cutting a deal over this issue. Hell, they've been attacking Trent-Friggin-LOTT over this -- and seriously pissing him off in the process! In fact, I see Trent Lott's fine hand in this arrangement. He's a loyal Republican, all right -- but he's also a believer in the idea that the Senate should not be an adjunct of the Executive Branch. Remember, Karl Rove gleefully went along with forcing Lott out of his Majority Leader job over the Thurmond flap because it meant that Rove could then move a BushCo puppet, Bill Frist, into the job. Lott, I suspect, has been waiting patiently for the right time to remind Rove that he's not Augustus Caesar. This is apparently it.