The Argument: Got Principles?

The Republican attempt to kill the filibuster for judicial nominees – without changing the Senate rules – is good ammo for Democrats. The Republican action is both simple and indefensible. Meaning it will make a handy sledgehammer to use against them, to show that they are:

·          Unprincipled

·          Hypocritical

·          Partisan

·          Reckless

The Democratic Party, and every individual Democrat going up against a Senate Republican, should have a short, cutting attack formulated for speeches, impromptu remarks, and TV ads. Here’s one – taking, say, Bill Frist as the target. Read moderately slowly, this is a one-minute script:

Senator Frist says he’s a man of principle. But consider this:

Senator Frist wanted to eliminate the filibuster for judicial nominees.

With a two-thirds vote, the Senate could change its rules to eliminate the filibuster.

Since he couldn’t get the votes to change the rules, Senator Frist decided just to break the rules.

With a bare majority vote, he could just declare the filibuster rule unconstitutional. And that’s what he and his fellow Republicans did.

Do you think he actually believed the filibuster was unconstitutional?

Well, Senator Frist himself filibustered a judicial nominee on March 8, 2000.

But that was one of President Clinton’s nominees. Now that we’re talking about President Bush’s nominees, suddenly the filibuster is unconstitutional.

What do you think? Principle or Politics? Integrity or hypocrisy?

[alternate last line:         What sort of principles does Senator Frist have?]

Here’s a 30-second version, for TV ads:

[The phrase “Got Principles?” appears on the screen.]

Five years ago, Senator Frist filibustered a judicial nominee.

Today, he says it’s unconstitutional to filibuster a judicial nominee.

What’s changed?

Well, back then it was one of President Clinton’s nominees. Today it’s President Bush’s nominees.

Senator Frist thinks the Constitution changes depending on who is President.

Do you?

I hope Howard Dean, Harry Reid, and Nancy Pelosi have hired some people who know how to make an argument.