I just finished listening in on a nationwide conference call Q&A with Senator Harry Reid regarding this filibuster/nuclear option insanity. They started off with a taped message from DNC Chair Howard Dean, who apparently couldn't attend because he's currently in flight somewhere or another.
Reid made a brief opening statement, basically bringing the listeners up to speed on the latest developments; nothing the dKos bunch doesn't already know, but he did say that it's now a virtual certainty that the final showdown on the Senate floor will be either Tuesday or Wednesday of next week, most likely Tuesday.
Then, they turned it over to the Q&A session, with the moderator reading off pre-submitted questions from various listeners natonwide. Among the questions asked:
--What are the reprucussions for the moderate Republicans if they vote their conscience?
Answer: Loss of campaign contributions from heavy-duty lobbying groups, chastisement/loss of positions of power within the Senate ala Sen. Specter, etc.
--What would be required to reverse the rule if the GOP does win next week?
Answer: A subsequent reversal vote of...67, which of course would be impossible for a long time if ever
--What can we do, personally to help?
Answer: If you live in Georgia, not a damned thing, at least in terms of your Senators, 'cus they're both deeply on the Dark Side; if you live in Arizona, Alaska, Rhode Island, Maine, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Nebraska, or New Hampshire, call your GOP Senators directly (or their offices) *personally* as well as friends/family/etc. and make it clear in no uncertain terms that you'll remember their vote the next time they're up for reelection. (Thanks to Mary Julia for listing the actual states in play!)
--What about when the Dems retake the Senate; couldn't we use this rule to our advantage then?
Answer: Sure, but that's "changing the rules in the middle of the game"; the bottom line is that the way rules are changed has been followed and worked successfully for 214 years, and once you start blowing off the rules for something like this, it's just a matter of time before the GOP uses it as a precedent to pass general legislation with a simple majority, etc etc. Reid specifically stated that killing the filibuster would be wrong *regardless* of who's in power, GOP, Dems or otherwise. The Senate was specifically designed to protect the rights/power of the MINORITY, not the majority.
Other items of note:
--Controversy is now over "only 5 judges, down from 10" ???
--GOP "Drunk with Power"/arrogant
--Brought up the fact that under Clinton, the GOP didn't even let 69 of his judges out of committee, much less allow an actual vote
--The filibuster was created by Washington & Jefferson as a way of "cooling the saucer" from extreme legislation
--The GOP is *ONLY* interested in the power they have TODAY, not the good of the country (or even their own interests) in the future.
--We need 6 "profiles in courage" from the GOP Senators to stand up and say "We don't need more power, we have enough, the founding fathers were right."
Update [2005-5-18 13:4:2 by Brainwrap]:The DNC blog now has an MP3 stream of the conference call: http://www.democrats.org/blog/
