Tyranny by the Minority? Only in the U.S.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.)is readying a nuclear bomb in the United States Senate to end of the filibuster.

Republicans say that Democrats have abused the filibuster by blocking 10 of the president's 229 judicial nominees in his first term (about 5% of the nominees). Frist calls this small percentage a "formula for tyranny by the minority." Further describing the filibusters as intolerable, Frist has hinted he may resort to a maneuver, dubbed the "nuclear option," to end filibusters for judicial nominations.

"One way or another, the filibuster of judicial nominees must end," he said in a speech to the Federalist Society last month, labeling the use of filibusters against judicial nominees a "formula for tyranny by the minority." Frist wants to limit the minority's party's power altogether, creating a true tyranny of the majority. (I just love the Republicans tend to describe things from the bottom up.

Well, he better hope the Republicans don'to lose the Senate in next year's elections, because every rule change he makes to ensnare the minority will be work against him with a vengence if he loses control.