by Scott Ott
(2005-05-27) -- As Democrats celebrated the new civility in the Senate by launching a friendly filibuster against John Bolton's nomination as U.N. Ambassador, Sen. John McCain, M-AZ, worked late into the night to strike a deal with his 13 colleagues in the bipartisan progressive coalition (BPC), offering a free iPod Shuffle
to any Democrat who supports the next vote to close debate on Mr. Bolton.
"Thanks to our compromise on judicial nominees earlier this week, my friends in the Democrat party have become more open to receiving special premium offers in exchange for restraining their minority power," said Sen. McCain. "The iPod Shuffle is just my way of saying 'thanks for your service to our country'."
The most powerful man in the Senate, minority leader Harry Reid, D-NV, welcomed Sen. McCain's spirit of cooperation, but suggested that the $99 Shuffle might not provide adequate incentive.
"The rights of the minority would be more adequately protected," said Sen. Reid, "with the $189 iPod Mini, and 10 free downloads per month."
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