Memorandum of WHAT?

The US Senate has proven that it is good at punting. That is the only way to describe what the "Gang of 14" has done to the process of confirming the President's judicial nominees.

Here is a link to the article in question:

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/05/24/filibuster.fight/

Some parts of this agreement trouble me.

While I am glad that atleast SOMEONE got a vote (Pricilla Owen), the parts that apply to the future lead me to believe that the Constitutional Option will again come into play once Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor get confirmed.

In the past, Judge Owen has been referred to as "extreme" by Democrats. For example, at this link you will find the following quotes by two Democrat Senators :

"I do not believe the nomination of Priscilla Owen is worthy of a lifetime appointment, and I do not believe her nomination is worth a constitutional confrontation that will forever damage the Senate," said Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said the Texas judge's record "shows her to be an ends-oriented activist judge."

They both voted against her on Wednesday, but the fact that she was "extreme" and STILL GOT CONFIRMED leads me to wonder what is in store when William Myers and Henry Saad come up for votes on the floor of the Senate.

Another aspect of the CNN story bothers me:

"The group's members also agreed that they would oppose attempts to filibuster future judicial nominees except under "extraordinary circumstances."

What would constitute "extraordinary circumstances" was not defined."

NOT DEFINED????

To the Gang of 14 Democrats Robert Byrd (West Virginia), Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Mary Landrieu (Louisiana), Joseph Lieberman (Connecticut), Ben Nelson (Nebraska), Mark Pryor (Arkansas), Ken Salazar (Colorado), RepublicansLincoln Chafee (Rhode Island), Susan Collins (Maine), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), John McCain (Arizona), John Warner (Virginia) and Olympia Snowe (Maine) I have tow questions for you:
1) what does "extraordinary circumstances" actually mean?
2) what exactly, if anything, DO YOU STAND FOR????

Yes, this is a tough decision, but THAT IS WHY YOU WERE VOTED INTO OFFICE FOR!!!

The article continues:

"Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid later welcomed the deal and indicated Democrats would continue to filibuster Myers and Saad, likely dooming their nominations."

WAIT A MINUTE!!!

The headline on this story, in bold font on the web page, reads:

"The looming Senate showdown over filibustered judicial nominees has been averted by a bipartisan agreement"

But yet Senator Reid says that "Democrats would continue to filibuster".

The confrontation has not been averted. It has simply been punted down the road because 14 Senators DON'T HAVE THE GUTS TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS.

Punters belong in the NFL, not the US Senate.

I think we can call this the "Memorandum of Stupidulation".