Blue State Math
In today's Washington Post, E.J. Dionne says out loud what many liberals are thinking: Even when Democrats lose elections for public office, they still are the majority party.
Asserting that a filibuster by 44 Democrat U.S. Senators is, in fact, a “majority vote,” Dionne declares: “According to the Census Bureau's July 2004 population estimates, the 44 Democratic senators represent 148,026,027 people; the 55 Republican senators 144,765,157. Vermont's Jim Jeffords, an independent who usually votes with the Democrats, represents 310,697.... What does majority rule really mean in this context?”
Apart from the silliness and shamefulness of the claim, isn't the obvious rejoinder that President Bush's majority tallies in both the popular vote and Electoral College should have the most relevance about who is appointed to the federal courts?
But then, Dionne knew the answer he wanted when he began his calculations. Clearly, he is willing to tabulate as long, hard and as foolishly as is required for Democrats to “win.”
Asserting that a filibuster by 44 Democrat U.S. Senators is, in fact, a “majority vote,” Dionne declares: “According to the Census Bureau's July 2004 population estimates, the 44 Democratic senators represent 148,026,027 people; the 55 Republican senators 144,765,157. Vermont's Jim Jeffords, an independent who usually votes with the Democrats, represents 310,697.... What does majority rule really mean in this context?”
Apart from the silliness and shamefulness of the claim, isn't the obvious rejoinder that President Bush's majority tallies in both the popular vote and Electoral College should have the most relevance about who is appointed to the federal courts?
But then, Dionne knew the answer he wanted when he began his calculations. Clearly, he is willing to tabulate as long, hard and as foolishly as is required for Democrats to “win.”
posted by E.L. Lipman | 3/22/2005 07:21:00 AM
Agreed. The emerging power of the liberal judiciary is quashing any chance for the conservative majority to express its wishes. Democrats broke with tradition and filibustered judicial appointments. Returning to tradition through an end to the filibuster of judges is the only option.
D.J. Dionne further misleads by claiming only 10 of 204 judges have been filibusterd. But, all 10 are Federal Circuit appointees of which only 35 have been appointed. So its 10 to 35, not 10 to 204.
Republicans have nothing to lose and everything to gain by ending the filibuster on judges. Some say Republicans will be in the minority again in the future and that they will need this tool. However, we need to remember that the nature of liberalism is to disband tradition and go with the times. We are fooling ourselves if we believe that Democrats would honor the filibuster rules. At a minimum we are stupid.
Republicans should end this rule now and appoint the judges that the people want.
Very interesting math. I'm sure if we think about it we can come up with equally interesting, and equally misleading, outcomes. As was once said, "There are Lies, Damn lies, and Statistics!"
Once again, we see the left attempting to change the rules after the fact when it benefits their case. There is no lower form of cheating, and they should be ashamed of themselves, if of course they had any concept of shame.
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