Posted by
Jim Hunt on Wednesday, December 03, 2008 12:00:00 PM
Last night Saxby Chambliss finally
won re-election insuring that the Democrats will not have 60 members (including
the two independents) in the Senate. Republicans nationwide heaved a great sigh
of relief, but it may be premature. The power of the filibuster now rests in
the hands of at least three senators whose records are anything but
encouraging. The burden will fall upon Republican leader Mitch McConnell to keep
these three in line for any filibuster to hold.
These senators are the very
definition of RINO – Republican In Name Only. They have been on the wrong side
of issues from tax cuts, to judicial confirmations, to war. One even spoke out
in opposition to the rescue of Grenada in 1983! Regrettably two of these RINOs
come from my home state of Maine: Senator Olympia Snowe and Senator Susan
Collins. The third is Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania.
Sometimes joined by erstwhile
presidential candidate John McCain, these senators have contributed greatly to
the disastrous legislative record of the Republicans in the last eight years.
I don’t envy Senator McConnell his
task of trying to keep these three in line, but at least now we have a chance to
have some kind of check on the left’s wild ideas.
God Bless America