Reid Fails To Explain Dem Stand

Sen. Frist said Sunday to GOP senators who fear that using the nuclear option would prevent the GOP from using it later against a majority Dem Senate, "If it's wrong for the Democrats to deny a vote to Republican court nominees, then it's wrong for Republicans to use it to deny a vote to Democratic nominees." (That's a paraphrase.)

Given that position, why is it that Dems are ranting so against the rewriting of the rules? If we were to consider (for a moment, anyway) that the Dems follow logic, then the only answer is that they feel its fine for minority parties to hold up judicial nominees. Not true, at least when they're in the majority.

Oh, then this must be it, from Kos' report of a conference call between Sen. Reid and Libbloggers:

But Senator Reid was quick to point out that the the filibuster issue and the invoking of Frist's "nuclear" option goes beyond the issue of judicial nominations - seriously impacting the Senate in its every facet - including Cabinet nominations and legislation. IF the genie is let out of the bottle, there is no putting it back in.

Not exactly. Kos' credibility (an interesting concept) is challenged by even reporting that. Everyone knows the proposed rules change applies only to judicial nominees, not cabinent nominations or legislation.

Well, maybe the Dems are opposed to the change because they are genuinely concerned about the nominations. Again from Kos:

Senator Reid also acknowledged a need to explain more comprehensively the basis for the Democratic opposition to Bush's previously rejected and now renominated judicial nominees. Senator Reid assured us that the substantive case for opposing Bush's previously rejected nominees will continue to be made, and in a more forceful and detailed fashion.

This far into the debate, and the Dems are acknowledging that they haven't made the case against the nominees. Why? Because they don't want to stand in the public square and say, "We're threatening to close down the Senate because we're beholden to the abortion industry."

Oh, that confusing and consternating morality thing.