Is GOP Prepared To Go Nuclear?

Senate Republicans Mull Rule Change To Eliminate Filibusters

(CBS) 
The ad – which is currently running in Arizona, Maine, New Hampshire, Nebraska, Indiana, Oregon, Virginia – will eventually expand to markets in 18 states, all of which have at least one Republican senator on the group's target list. In the event of a rule-changing vote, Neas speculated that the tally would be precariously close, but contends that with the help of his group's "public education campaign," the nuclear option will ultimately be rejected by a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans.

Neas did not pull any punches on Wednesday, singling out Senators Frist, Lott and Santorum as members of the "radical right" who want to "pull the trigger" on the nuclear option. He hoped to portray these senators as a triumvirate of an out-of-the-mainstream faction of the Republican Party that is intent on solidifying its power at the expense of fairness and bipartisanship. Neas cited a Newsweek poll released in mid-March that found that only 34 percent of Americans would be in favor of the nuclear option, while 57 percent support the filibuster procedure as it stands. According to Neas, the use of the nuclear option for judicial nominees could lead to a "slippery slope," where the process might eventually be used to eliminate filibusters for debates on legislative issues.

Norman Lear, the famed television producer and founder of People for the American Way, also spoke at the National Press Club event via video link.

"Do we believe in the three branches of checks and balances? That's what’s at stake in this issue," he said.

At Wednesday's press conference and various media releases, People for the American Way cited the longstanding tradition and historical importance of the filibuster in reaching compromise and ensuring the viability of the minority party. Lear did acknowledge that the parliamentary tool has at times been used for questionable endeavors. It was a Republican, the late Sen. Strom Thurmond, who delivered the longest filibuster in American history, when he railed against the 1957 Civil Rights act. Thurmond's public soliloquy lasted a cool 24 hours and 18 minutes.

There is no end in sight to the squabbles regarding the Constitution and the founding fathers' intentions, as President Bush continues to nominate more judges. The issue is likely to take on a heightened significance if and when there is a Supreme Court vacancy. In making their case against Senate Democrats, Republicans are quick to provide their own take on American political history.

"All that we're asking is that they return to 200 years of constitutional precedent and return to an up or down vote,” said Frist's communications director, Bob Stevenson. "They are blocking the rights of all members of the Senate to fulfill their constitutional duty to advise and consent."