Twelve Step Program

Farhad Manjoo makes a pretty good point about the nuclear option.

Republicans may not be wrong to want to eliminate the filibuster, and Democrats have nothing to lose by letting the GOP win this one.
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the filibuster is no friend to Democrats, whose policies, if not politicians, appeal to a majority of the American public. They may be in the minority now, but Democrats can win again. They can take the Senate and they can take the White House, possibly both, possibly soon. When that day comes, you can be sure Republicans will use the filibuster in the same way that Democrats are using it today. Wouldn't it make sense to take that option away from the GOP now, when they're agitating for the change -- and then, in the future, to hoist them with their own petard?

I'll take it a step farther. We knew going into Bush’s second inauguration that the only way we were going to take this country back wasn’t going to be through our own doing – it was going to be through Republican hubris. Only 28% of Americans support the nuclear option, what could be more hubristic than doing something most people are against in order to more fully concentrate your own power? Rick Santorum hilariously compares the Democrats’ filibuster to Hitler in Paris, but I think it's clear, at least to 72% of us, that the fascists in this story are the Republicans. So let’s let them do it. It’s like with a drug addict. He can’t help himself until he’s hit rock bottom. It’s a shame that for these power addicts, we need to concede almost all control of our government, allowing them to install their religious zealot and racist judges for life. It'll be sad to see our country have to go through that, but I’m sure it's just as sad to change the locks on your house after your kid steals your appliances, and force him start turning tricks in an alley for smack. But sometimes, that’s what it takes to get your kid to realize that he’s gone too far.

In the end though, as Mr. Manjoo says, rock bottom for the Republicans will be election gold for us. We'll have the White House and Congress, no filibuster, and a grudge to settle. Oooh boy! Doesn't that sound fun? What worries me more is this talk of compromise. I think we have two options. We win this battle and continue to block Bush’s Über-Christian judges, or we lose and the Republicans are displayed naked for the world to see as the power hungry sons of bitches they really are. Compromise is a lose-lose proposition. From the rumors I’ve heard floated, they’re talking about letting 5 or so of the not-as-bad judges go through, and dropping the worst few, and then we have to promise not to filibuster any judges unless we deem it really important. What would that mean? Do we get 3 filibusters every presidential term or something? I don’t know. But if we let a compromise go through it will allow Bush his judges, lose any leverage we have, and the whole power-grab naked-display electoral-victory thing would vanish. Compromise on this issue would be a complete disaster.

Let them win! Let them win!