Monday, September 13, 2010

Dear Republicans Supporting Castle or Opposing @ChristineOD in #DESen #tcot

We've been hashing this thing out.  Let me distill the arguments.



You, the pro-Castle forces, wish to spend a marginal amount of effort defeating someone whose ideas you like and nominating someone you don’t so that you’ll have a minimal amount of work electing them. At that point you have an open-ended commitment to persuading them, time and time again, to vote with you. That open-ended commitment may at times scuttle your effort to defeat bad legislation or enact good legislation. You are, essentially, kicking the can down the road.



I wish to spend a greater amount of work nominating someone I do like, opposition research and all, followed by an even greater amount of work to try to elect them. If the other side wins, they win, and I will have an open-ended chance to notice that they do not vote with me. But if my side wins, I have a solid ally in the Senate.



And regarding the opposition research, mud dug up by the Castle campaign and in which the GOP establishment is happily wallowing: Christine O'Donnell's rent, her income, and some lawsuit she filed are distractions from the issues.  Should only the wealthy, or those who have never been involved in what later seems like a pointless lawsuit, be allowed to enter public office?  That would exclude me, for sure.



The key thing to note, though, is that there is precious little difference between 41 and 59 in the Senate. By the other races this year Republicans will pick up some seats. In all likelihood the GOP will hold between 43 and 50 seats, exclusive. So Republicans will be able to filibuster most things regardless of who wins in Delaware.



So suppose what we’re talking about here is the Senate majority. What does that get us?



The President is not going to sign Republican agenda items.  Neither house will have enough to override the veto.



So we're talking about not having Chuck Schumer (D-NY) or Little Dick Durbin (D-IL) Senate Majority Leader, and instead getting Mitch McConnell as Leader, along with the best committee assignments and chairs.



But what good is that — to us? To the Senate establishment it’s a big fat hairy deal. But to us?



Conservatives just want to block legislation. A solid filibuster, combined with owning the House, does that. We only need 51 to cement the power of the NRSC.



Thanks, but no thanks — I’ll take my chances up front.



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