The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal’s “Best of the Web” at WSJ written by the editor, James Taranto.
Make That 5
- “4 Ways to Keep the Grinch From Stealing Your Good Credit”—headline, FoxBusiness, Dec. 9
- “Whoville Changes Location”—headline, Daily Emerald (University of Oregon), Dec. 8
Finding a Scapegoat in the Mirror
“Senate Republicans met behind closed doors Tuesday to debate whether they should reverse changes to the filibuster that made it easier for Senate Democrats to confirm President Obama’s nominees,” the Hill reports:
While many expressed anger over last years’ [sic] move by the Democrats and Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) to unilaterally change the rules through a procedure known as the “nuclear option,” some say the new rules should be kept in case a Republican wins the White House in 2016. . . .
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) told reporters that, while the nuclear option was a “mistake,” he believes the new GOP Senate should keep the rules.
“I don’t think there should be one rule for Democrats and one rule for Republicans,” he said.
In favor of restoring the rule, which effectively required 60 votes to confirm a nominee, is South Carolina’s Lindsey Graham, who was a member of the so-called Gang of 14, a bipartisan group that negotiated a 2005 compromise to avert a Republican attempt to go nuclear:
Graham said both veterans and newcomers to the Senate are on both sides of the issue.
“It’s a hard thing to figure out, but it’s always been easy for me,” he said. “Before I got here, the place seemed to work OK. . . .”
No doubt that’s true, but it’s possible Graham has committed the post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy.
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.”
