60-40 VISIONS:

60 Proof: Senator John Cornyn on limited government, how the Senate works, and the pursuit of a filibuster-proof majority. (Terry Eastland, 12/04/2003, Weekly Standard)

Cornyn...has played a prominent role in arguing for President Bush's judicial nominees--and therefore against the unprecedented filibuster strategy employed by the Democratic minority. Because of that strategy, 60 votes now may be needed to confirm a nominee--60, because it takes 60 votes to break a filibuster and permit an up-or-down vote.

Cornyn reflects a new Republican realism about the Democrats' filibustering. He knows that it can't be stopped by a change in Senate rules, since that would require 67 votes. He also knows that it can't be stopped by a parliamentary move requiring only 51 votes, since there are eight to ten (nameless) Republican senators unwilling to go along with that. Cornyn alludes to the "next election." It will occur after the first two years of his six, and his hope is that it will produce a Republican Senate that finally is filibuster-proof.

Interesting how casually Mr. Eastland mentions the idea of 60 and Mr. Cornyn's seeming belief it's a possibility--you'd think that would be the main point to come out of the piece.

Posted by Orrin Judd at December 5, 2003 10:35 PM