Salazar Sells Out

Or was never sold in in the first place:

Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar, who some Republicans had suggested might be willing to vote with them for certain nominees, wrote Bush asking him to withdraw all of the candidates Democrats blocked in the Senate during the President's first term.

"The decision to renominate these individuals will undoubtedly create the animosity and divisiveness...that is not helpful to our nation and will sidetrack our collective efforts to work on other crucial matters," Salazar wrote.

I'm taking it that Salazar's previous comment that every judicial nominee should get an up or down vote was offered before "freshman orientation." Or perhaps the above quote is what he meant - pre-emptive surrender by the White House making Donk filibusters "unnecessary." Or perhaps Ted Kennedy threatened to "take him for a ride" if he didn't fall into the obstructionist line.

I know that Ken Salazar is just a freshman junior senator from a second-tier "red" state whose letter is toilet paper on the clout meter, but it would be so refreshing if the President, or even a GOP senator with a noteable degree of heft, would fire back that it is the decision on the part of the minority party to obstruct the President's nominees in the absence of having the votes to defeat them honestly that has created "animosity and divisiveness," and that if the Democrats truly want comity and good will to lubricate "our collective efforts to work on other crucial matters," they will cease and desist from any further obstructionism.

Otherwise, the majority will do it for them.

"Going nuclear" is the litmus test for this GOP governing coalition. If Bill Frist blinks, there's no practical reason for it to continue to exist.

UPDATE: It just gets worse....

Watch this logic: Dems promise they'll continue to filibuster judges. Specter admits disappointment (but I hired some of your guys on my staff, come on!!). So the White House nominates a Harry Reid pick for a Nevada federal bench seat (reward!).

So, uh, what exactly is the agenda/plan for the GOP this Congress? Do they need some of those cheesy motivational posters for their offices? Or at least a blown-up definition of what "leadership" means?

Ah, well, Republican "hegemony" was fun while it lasted....

UPDATE: Welcome, Pseudo-Polymath readers! Have a look around, take a load off, and enjoy a tall, frosty beverage in Ten-Forward!