The HuffPost is just two weeks old and it has already claimed its first casualty – me. For the last five days I have been afflicted with that dread malady known as Bloggers Block, a disease even more crippling than the fearsome Pundit Paralysis. Arianna, please understand that it is not a question of motivation or compensation. I am willing to update Dr. Johnson and declare, “No man but a Blog-head ever wrote except for money.”
My problem was that I felt compelled to opine about the Washington topic of the moment, the filibuster, that legendary legislative logorrhea once beloved by Strom Thurmond. But my position felt too wimpy for the blogosphere, since I have been rooting for the Dirty Dozen moderates, led (surprise) by John McCain, to cut a deal to end the filibuster fisticuffs. (The Washington Post has an Importance of Being Earnest editorial staking out this high-minded position). But why am I identifying with this bipartisan band of spineless centrists (a point David Brooks makes) when as a left-of-center guy I could be parroting talking points provided by People for the American Way?
The primary reason is practical politics, since my own conversations lead me to the same conclusion as Brooks: The Republicans will probably win 51-49 or 50-50 with Dick Cheney breaking the tie when the Senate votes Tuesday on a rule change eliminating judicial filibusters. What leaves me baffled is why the Democrats don’t take any deal that they can get from the handful of Republicans who remain rightly fearful about detonating this nuclear option. Blocking two or three right-wing appeals court judges and preserving the glimmer of a chance to filibuster if Bush nominates, say, Ann Coulter to the Supreme Court may, alas, be the best outcome liberals can hope for in difficult times.
But Democrats, reflecting (tip of the hat to the good Dr. Johnson) the triumph of hope over experience, seem convinced that they can win the spin wars that will follow this week’s probable GOP victory. Color me dubious, since historically the filibuster has had few champions in the popular culture, aside, of course, from Frank Capra. The Bush White House and the Frist Front will portray the Senate rules change as the greatest triumph for democracy since the brave and stalwart Iraqi people held aloft purple fingers on election day. Ask yourself this, if you think that the Democrats should fight to the last breath in the name of high principle: Who has a bigger megaphone, Scott McClellan or Harry Reid?
Sure, angry Democrats are going to have a bit of fun exacting vengeance by temporarily gumming up the works in the Senate. Since filibusters would still be allowed over other nominations, it is a safe bet that John Bolton will be left twisting, twisting slowly in the wind as windbag liberals endlessly debate his dubious credentials for winning hearts and minds at the United Nations. But Bolton is a minor annoyance (Condi Rice, after all, wanted him out of the State Department) and blocking him will be a hollow victory. What I worry about is that the Senate Democrats are about to march with flags flying, bands playing and the interest groups cheering right into the filibuster trap set out by the conservative Republicans.