Sammon falsely attributed the term "nuclear option" to Senate Democrats
SUMMARY: On Fox News, The Washington Examiner's Bill Sammon said of House Democrats' move to suspend the 60-day requirement for voting on the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement: "I call it more like the 'nuclear option,' because that's what the Democrats called the Republican threat to change the rules back when they were trying to get judges through." Sammon was referring to a 2005 Republican-proposed Senate rule change that would have effectively eliminated the ability to filibuster judicial nominations. But the term "nuclear option," as it pertains to judicial filibusters, was originally coined by Republican Sen. Trent Lott -- not by Democrats.
On the April 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume, during a panel discussion about a vote in the Democratic-led House to suspend the 60-day requirement for voting on the United States-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement, Washington Examiner senior White House correspondent Bill Sammon said of the House Democrats' move: "I call it more like the 'nuclear option,' because that's what the Democrats called the Republican threat to change the rules back when they were trying to get judges through." Sammon was referring to a 2005 Republican-proposed Senate rule change that would have effectively eliminated the ability to filibuster judicial nominations. But as Media Matters for America documented on several occasions, the term "nuclear option," as it pertains to judicial filibusters, was originally coined by Republican Sen. Trent Lott (MS) -- not by Democrats. In fact, during the April 17, 2005, edition of ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos Lott admitted that he is "given credit" for calling the proposed rule change the "nuclear option," but added: "I'm not sure I want it. I prefer to call it the constitutional option."
Indeed, a May 17, 2005, Washington Post article about rhetoric used in the Senate during the judicial nomination process in 2005 which reported that "the term was coined by Republican Sen. Trent Lott," also stated that: "Republicans have tried to rechristen 'nuclear option' as the 'constitutional option,' a less radioactive alternative. 'Nuclear option' gives Democrats too many opportunities to portray the Republican position as bellicose, doomsday-bringing and generally unpleasant."
From the April 10 edition of Fox News' Special Report with Brit Hume:
[begin video clip]
HOUSE SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): This isn't about ending anything. It's about having a timetable that respects the concerns, the aspirations, the challenges faced by the American people. We are the people's House. Their timetable should be our timetable.
REP. KEVIN BRADY (R-TX): Who could imagine that this Congress would send a signal to the world that we are not just an unreliable leader in trade, we are an unreliable negotiator in trade. It is embarrassing and it is dangerous, and it will cost America jobs.
[end video clip]
BRIT HUME (anchor): So what are those two people arguing over? They're arguing over a free trade agreement with Colombia, which is a strong American ally in this hemisphere, and a neighbor, and not a friendly neighbor of Hugo Chavez. There you can see the location of Colombia right cheek by jowl with Venezuela down there.
And the administration had argued that this was a good deal for the United States because tariffs are now a lot higher on American goods going into Colombia than they are on Colombian goods coming into the United States.
Nonetheless, labor does not want this deal, and there's criticism of the way labor unions and their leaders are treated in Colombia. And that was all in this witch's brew that led to this being blocked today, and the rules under which trade deals are considered being changed by the House at Nancy Pelosi's instigation.
How does this play out politically, Bill?
SAMMON: Well, the Republicans are calling this rule change the "Hugo Chavez rule," because the argument is that it drives Colombia, you know, closer to Hugo Chavez. And Colombia is an ally of ours. The Democrats are always complaining that the Bush administration is alienating our allies. Well, this is clearly alienating an ally by shafting Colombia and backing out of this agreement.
I call it more like the "nuclear option," because that's what the Democrats called the Republican threat to change the rules back when they were trying to get judges through.
HUME: In the Senate.
SAMMON: And the press went crazy, went ballistic -- "You can't change the rules." And yet, that's exactly what Nancy Pelosi did. It will have wide-ranging ramifications to other allies -- South Korea, we have other trade agreements.
And suddenly, we're telling all the countries in the world, "You know, you can't really trust us to do a fast-track authority on a trade deal, 'cause we may just decide we don't want to do the trade deal with you."
JUAN WILLIAMS (Fox News contributor): Now, the Democrats today were saying, "Listen, it's not that the deal is dead. It gives us more time. We could put in place more protections for labor, specifically -- also environmental possibilities."
That Juan Williams, always trying to ruin Republan nonsense. Hey Republans, you had it your way, you LOST because of it. Win back the Congress and do it your way..until then, SHUT UP and QUIT CRYING...talk about sissies.
And to Sen Brady, we've sent enough signals to the rest of the world that they don't listen any longer. Thank You Pres. Cheney
Just like the term "liberal", I think it was coined by some evil Republican, but falsely attributed to Democrats. Darnit.
;)
Of course we can, and we should. I say tax hikes (double, perhaps?) for all American businesses who shipped American jobs overseas. Tax breaks for American companies who keep American jobs in the U.S.
It might seem elementary, but it makes sense to me.
Another excellent idea. :)
The economy is common property. People comprise it and sustain it. People make it go. And as such we the people, not some damned handful of candy a** cut and run CEO's, get to have a say in how markets ought to function.
Yeah, but you don't suddenly tuirn around and make it look like a democratic idea! I remember at the time thinking "if the democrats were trying to do this, the republican's would be creaming bloody murder about it!" And now they want to confuese people and make it LOOK like it was the Dem's who inverted the tactic and tried to change the rules.
Republican's are unprincipled hypocrites. PRINCIPLES mus apply even when they are inconvenient for you. That's why you don't try to accumulate power that you would not grant your enemy and why you don't put limitaion on "them" that you wouldn't accept being put on yourself. But they don't understand that becasue (1) THEY HAVE NO PRINCIPALS and (2) They drank the Rovian Kool-Aid that mead them think they'd be in power forever.
So yes, it's important when their own dirty tricks suddenly get attributed to Democrats.
GOOD CALL MMFA!!!
"I call it more like the 'nuclear option,' because that's what the Democrats called the Republican threat to change the rules back when they were trying to get judges through."
Are you REALLY this dense? For Sammon's statement to be accurate, it would had to have read "...because that's what the REPUBLICANS called the Republican threat to change the rules..."
Bill Sammon did not say that the Demorcats "coined" the term He only stated that they used the term.
"The nuclear option is off the table," Democratic Whip Richard J. Durbin (Ill.) said on the Senate floor, moments after the negotiators announced their deal at a crowded news conference.
Looks like we all made the same point - put I must give them credit for being first
Exactly.
No one said anything here about the Dems "coining" anything. They've used the term. No MIS-information here....Me thinks MMFA leapt before looking.
No, not exactly.
MMFA's accusation is attribution. When Sammon gives credit to Democrats for using the term, but does not give credit to Republicans and the conservative media, he is making a false attribution.
BOB NOVAK: The unprecedented Democratic blockage of 16 Bush appellate choices has led Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist to attempt a maneuver that, in effect, confirms a judge by a simple majority vote of 51 rather than the 60 needed to break a filibuster -- unfortunately first self-described by Republicans as the "nuclear option."
JOE SCARBOROUGH: "With us now to talk about the president's brinkmanship strategy on judges and whether it's going to lead to what the Republicans are calling the nuclear option are Democratic congressman Anthony Weiner, who serves on the Judiciary Committee and House -- and Republican strategist Jack Burkman."
CHRIS WALLACE: Well, let me ask you about one of them, because some Republicans are talking about what they call the nuclear option, and that would be a ruling that the filibuster of executive nominees is unconstitutional, which would require not 60 or 67 votes but only a simple majority of 51.
NORMAN ORNSTEIN: Senate Republicans have one weapon -- what Majority Leader Bill Frist and his colleagues have called the 'nuclear option,' because it would blow up the current rules requiring a 60-vote 'supermajority' to end a filibuster.
SEN. ARLEN SPECTER: My strategy is to use every ounce of my energy to try to confirm President Bush's judges without going to the so-called "constitutional" or "nuclear option."
--------
WOAH! WAIT A MINUTE! This term doesn't poll well! We have to shift gears and fast! Heck, it will give us something to blame on the Democrats if we do it right, and the lapdog media will only be happy to help us...
GWEN IFILL: Does Sen. Frist have the votes in order to force this nuclear option?
Sen. JOHN KYL: Well, I'm not going to characterize it as a nuclear option. That's what the opponent....
GWEN IFILL: Or a constitutional option. Whatever term we're using today.
[...]
SEN. JOHN CORNYN: What we are suggesting is not a nuclear option. What we are suggesting is perhaps a constitutional option.
This is disturbing, because it fits in with the false frame that the media consistently presents. We all know that republicans are warmongerers and pray that the "nuclear option" may some day literally come true, yet the media outlets seek to conceal this wish by attributing the term to peace-loving democrats.
On a lighter note, I just got to a computer so didn't look over all the articles, but is there one on Oreilly raving about MMFA lastnight??
First they screwed up our water fluoridation plan to conquer the world and now this.
I haven't activated your chip, King. Patience.
But the dittohead caller (to Rush's nutty substitute, Jason Lewis?) is even on to the bureacracy angle-- he knows that any broken CFL will require a call to 911 and a visit from HazMat. Curse those dittoheads, they're too clever!!
"Nonetheless, labor does not want this deal, and there's criticism of the way labor unions and their leaders are treated in Colombia."
Mass murders of union organizers condoned by the Colombian government is merely poor treatment? Screw you Brit and screw the congressional Dem who have delayed he vote so they can garner more support for this evil trade deal. This delay isn't about terminating this deal, it's about making it bulletproof.
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iitBrfgAuvPkq5olQx0sYf8JbPWAD8VTA4HO0
Oh, please, Democrats. Stop the whining. It doesn't matter who coined the phrase. It means to employ a tactic to utterly defeat the opposition, and that's what the current Democrat party members of the House are considering.
Speaking of the nuclear option, just wait till Hillary, Bill, and the delegates at large go into action against Obama. Speaking as a life long Republican it'll be such fun to watch.
Semper Fidelis!
Are or you "always faithful" to the Constitution and upholding it against all enemies, foreign and domestic?
Oh please, you are so ignorant. Anyone too stupid to know the name of the largest political party in the US ought not come in here parading their stupidity and embarass themselves as you do. The nuclear option was about the FILIBUSTER not about ANY rule change at ANY time and the republicans coined the term. We understand you have a vested interest in appologizing for such disinformation you wingnuts could NEVER sell your stupid agenda without disinformation.