Yesterday I asked the following question in a daily kos diary:

The question I have asks you to consider the situation we now face in reverse.  Picture this: There is a Democratic president, a Democratic majority in Congress with the same numbers but in reverse, and a split court but leaning to the left.  The president has just nominated an extremely liberal judge who worked in the Carter administration to replace the swing vote on the court.  With her selection the court would swing to the left for years to come.  Do you really think the Republicans would be afraid to use the filibuster?  Do you think any criticism would stop them?  Please consider this.

Adam C of Redstate responded as follows:

I posted this diary a little while ago at dailykos and it is almost off the screen, so I'm posting it again here.  

In light of Markos's post today on conservation as a better way for us to frame environmental issues, and as a means for Democrats to chip away at the Republican voting bloc, I would like to offer something I wrote sometime last year. Although if asked, I would probably say I am a progressive democrat, at the time I wrote it, I contemplated how progressive and conservative values could be brought into harmony. I think the notion of conservation, which need not only apply to environmental issues, is a wonderful start. Well here it is. Hope you enjoy:

See below or here

Lately, I have seen a lot of posts around the web cheering Bush's low poll numbers. I am also happy when I see these low numbers because they reveal that the majority of people in America are reasonable.

However, I'm not sure Bush, his most devoted followers, his corporate sponsors, the religious right, or Karl Rove really care. If Bush cared at all about democracy, then of course he would be concerned about low approval of his policies, because in a democracy the sovereignty of the ruler should flow from the will of the people.

divine right

In this post, I will provide a brief primer about the concept of the Mandate of Heaven in ancient China. Beyond merely teaching something about what I know, my hope is that it will generate discussion about similar concepts--whether they be viewed as propaganda, rituals, legitimizing techniques, etc.--at different times and places, particularly in but not restricted to contemporary American politics. Consider what animates notions of the Mandate in our own culture. When a party says they have won the Mandate, to what external authority or factors are they appealing? The People? My Higher Father? What? Are there any signs? How are different media used to promote this vision? What is the origin of the Mandate in the American context?

Just want to invite you all to check out my new blog:

www.wulingren.blogspot.com

After reading this and other blogs everyday for a few years now, I finally have created my own, since I have recently completed my dissertation.  The blog will be a mixture of contemporary American and ancient Chinese (that's what I study) politics, religion, and media.  My third entry is now up, which discusses how I got involved in politics after reading Joe Trippi's "Perfect Storm" back in 2003.  Check it out if you are interested.