The Coming Shit Storm ...

[Pepperbelly]

A NY Post columnist today wrote of seeing Rhenquist yesterday (1/13) and tells of the old fart's frailty. Hunched in a wheel chair, hairless, dead eyes, a shell of the man he was a mere five years ago. Personally, I expect that swearing in George W. Beast will be his last official action, that's he's hanging tenaciously on so he can claim that bit of infamy in history --the man who swore in the anti-christ ( :D ).

So he's outta there. Hence, a choice for the Beast. He could easily appoint a gop of moderate temperment and centrist views on the law and the Consitution. Or, he can appoint a rightwing firebrand who will support every bit of fascist repression that comes down the pike.

The beast will choose option B.

And then it gets REAL ugly.

A number of scenarios then present; fillibuster, intimidation of red state Democrats, nuclear option. If the Democrats hang in there, it will be bloody. This is what we must prepare for immediately.

The beast will then be attacking the American people on two major fronts (having screwed the pooch on foreign relations already): SS privatization and (in)judicial appointments. These will be the battlefields.

[Junkdrawer]

1. The Split is now 55(R) 44(D) 1(I)...

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/history/one_item_and_teasers/partydiv.htm

So, the question seems to be "Can the Repukes co-opt 5-6 Dinos"?

[Oversea Visitor]

4. I think the question

is more of how many Republicans will abandon ship. Its sinking and fasr.

[sendero]

6. I wish I were optimistic...

... but looking at the senate over the last 4 years gives me little hope. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

[ktowntennesseedem]

2. Which option with the Dems choose?

It is already ugly and will only get more ugly, no matter what plays out. I only hope the Dems don't roll over and play dead, trying to "work" together with the idiot in some hopeless non-partisan fashion. They need to fight like our future depends on it, because it does.

[JI7]

3. what if he dropped dead during the swearing in

that would be interesting.

[welshTerrier2]

13. it would certainly be convenient ...

then, Rhenquist would already be there to swear in Cheney and he wouldn't have to make a second trip ...

[No Exit]

5. Yes, it's coming, but...

I saw something odd the other day. It was a case involving the federal sentencing guidelines, and the S. Ct. decision just came down.

Ginsburg and Breyer had sided with Scalia and Thomas! And the result was that the federal sentencing guidelines have been seriously changed--they have essentially been made advisory rather than mandatory. IMO, the decision was a sort of victory for federal criminal defendants.

It gives me hope that Our President and his illegitimate adminstration may not find uniform support for every travesty they want to enact or preserve.

[jmowreader]

10. It looks the other way around

It's more like Scalia and Thomas had sided with Ginsburg and Breyer. Changing the federal sentencing guidelines to advisory looks pretty liberal to me.

[No Exit]

14. I think you and I were saying the same thing

I shouldn't have said "Ginsberg and Breyer sided with Scalia and Thomas"--should've been said the other way around. Yes, the guidelines decision is one which tends more towards the liberal.

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. It seems appropriate

that death will be swearing in George W Bush. It will fit right in with theme of his misadministration for the next four years of more death and destruction.

[Guaranteed]

8. Better Rhenquist than one of ours, though. nt

[jmowreader]

11. I was thinking the same thing

Losing Rehnquist in a right-wing administration isn't going to change all that much--we're still looking at a 5-4 split. Given the right case, we can swing O'Connor.

Losing Ginsburg is a different story--all of a sudden we've got a 6-3 split and we're fucked.

[dbt]

20. O'Connor needs to swing by her toes over the fires of HELL

for a couple of centuries, contemplating her roll in history.

:grr:
dbt

[Stevepol]

9. I hate to be a pessimist, but we haven't seen a really bad prez yet.

I feel certain, if the electronic voting machines are not made fair and reliable and transparent as to the counting done w/ voter-verified paper ballots and audits FOR EVERY ELECTION, that Geo Bush the Younger isn't the worst prez the US will have. There'll be another worse than him, probably in 2008. Chuck Hagel is possible since he's in touch with the only electorate that counts: the ownership and management of the electronic voting maching companies, having at one time been one of the leaders of ES&S. I was also certain that Bush would win this past election in just about the manner he did: by defying the pre-election polls, the exit polls, and every other honest measure that could be used to verify the validity of an election. It happened just as I thought it would, and it will continue to happen.

[VOX]

12. I hear you, but how much worse can it get?

There's just only so much **America** to piss away -- and the right wing controls all three branches of gov't, the military, the mainstream media, hate radio, big business, etc.

Unless you mean that the right wing will roll out some newfound "freedoms," like executions for those who speak out against the State.

[Walt Starr]

15. Of course he'll choose option B on the Rhenquist replacement

And the Dems will simply go along with it.

Net change - NOT A DAMN THING!

The REAL battle begins when Sandra Day O'Connor chooses to retire.

[ArkDem]

16. You are correct, sir!

[BlueManDude]

17. They lose one RW asshole - gain another

I'm not happy about it but at least one of the good guys ain't leaving. My impression is that Renquist is not quite as bad as Thomas and Scalia but close enuf. Bush will nominate some hardcore nutcase who's in his 40's.

[Q]

18. I hate to be the one to say it...but recent history plainly shows...

...that the Democrats will pretend to fight and then promptly allow Bush his partisan judge. They will go 'on the record' as having doubts...but you can count on Bush getting his bought and paid for nominee.

But it's not the SC that you need to worry about as much as the Democrats willing to vote for Bush's nominees and SS legislation. Watch out especially for the DLCers and Blue Dogs.

[Donna Zen]

19. We've got a winner!

And don't forget the stock answers that they send in return to our phone calls and letters:

~They take their role of advise and consent seriously, but the resident should have his pick.

~ They will hold the creeps "feet to the fire." (That one is my personal favorite because while there may be a drop of truth in the first sorry excuse, this is one that has yet to bare any relationship to reality.)

~ In future fights they will be there for us, and oh yeah, send money!

[Rique]

22. Unfortunately, your dead on ...

[dbt]

21. May Rehnquist Live A Thousand Years!

May his mind remain sharp, his hearing stay acute and his conscience suddenly develop.

:evilgrin:
dbt

[ChiciB1]

23. I Agree With You

However, it WILL BE hard to overturn Roe v Wade! Very very hard. And El-Smirkle-Roy has stepped into it with his immigration push. Not many of his supporters like his new idea.

Then he's raising a raucous (southern-ruckus) with SS. But given his arrogance, I'm SURE he'll do what he can.

This is one argument I think he will lose! Especially since Kennedy was so eloquent in his remarks about abortion rights the other day. Saying that he's pro-choice, but we need to find a way to keep abortion to a minimum. That's a good attack and a way to keep Roe V Wade. Nothing "in your face" just "kill 'em with kindness!"