NYTimes reporter Carl Hulse files a story tonight demonstrating he knows nothing about the current fight on
Frist's Nuclear Option:
Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, said Tuesday that a confrontation over judicial nominations could climax next week, while his Democratic counterpart dismissed a Republican offer of compromise and made clear that his party was ready for the fight.
What's wrong with this sentence? Here's what's wrong Mr. Hulse - Frist's offer of "compromise" entailed ending the filibuster. That was no compromise. Does Hulse get it right later? Nope.
[Frist's] comments came as a Texas Supreme Court justice, Priscilla R. Owen, emerged as the potential focus of a Republican effort to eliminate the Democratic filibusters against seven of President Bush's nominees for the federal bench.
Mr. Hulse, please. The Republican effort is to end ALL judicial filibusters, which really means ending the filibuster period. Have you been following this story or what?
More on the flip.
Hulse does eventually describe Frist's nuclear option more correctly:
As the Senate braced for the showdown over Republican efforts to eliminate filibusters against judicial candidates, Dr. Frist said he first wanted to pass an emergency spending measure for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and a highway bill popular with lawmakers.
Yay! But, he slips back later:
Republicans hold 55 seats in the Senate, but it takes 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. As a result, the Republican leadership is considering asking that the filibusters of judicial nominees be declared out of order, a motion that could pass by a simple majority.
For crissakes Hulse - do you know a gawddam thing about this fucking story? The Senate rules do not allow for Frist's Nuclear Option. A two thirds majority is required to change the rules of the Senate. It's right there in the Senate rules. Rule 22 is clear - the filibuster is allowed under the Senate rules.
Rather than following the rules to amend the rules, Frist's nuclear option brazenly flouts the rules of the Senate. A vote to declare Rule 22 out of order? Are you fucking kidding me? What fucking kind of reporter are you? This is a disgrace. Did you even fucking read Reid's letter or statement? That's all you had to do you lazy fuck. Gawd Almighty how bad is the Media?
Don't trust Reid? Let's get Norm Ornstein on Line 1 to give you a bit of fucking information you stupid piece of shit. This piece of crap in the New York Times. Boy, I'm sure Okrent will be all over him. Riiiight.
