LIVE SENATE THREAD: C-span 2 - Noon EST; "Suppose the Dems throw a filabuster and NOBODY comes?"

C-span 2

[CharlesWayneCT]

Yea, but since Reid thought it was a great idea to replace her with Miers, his opinion isn't really worth anything.

[nfldgirl]

He will be sworn in at noon on Tuesday, in the WH..( a GREAT photo op, BTW)..then he'll run over, with family to the Supreme Court building..for another photo op...then I expect that Alito, Roberts, and most of the justices will appear at the SOTU...

I wouldn't put it past the slimes to do all they could to delay this from happening. They so hate GWB that they'll do anything to steal a promising, successful moment from this president...no matter who it hurts. And what's so disheartening is that the wimpy Republican leadership in the Senate will allow the slimes to get away with it.

[Mayflower Sister]

I thought I saw on tv a statement in 1991 that Kerry made about Alito (appointment to the appeals court)saying what a great judge Alito was.

I've tried to search it but couldn't find it. I know one of the TV stations (Fox?) ran it.

[hipaatwo]

NO Dem's there to talk today or did I just misunderstand what Sessions just said.

[Mo1]

TOTALLY off topic - but have you ever been to the Kimmel Center??

I'm thinking about getting tickets and was wondering what is place to sit

[Lovergirl]

He said they are NOT there.

[Cboldt]

Sessions is laying down the gauntlet. Notes that the DEMs are accusing filibuster, but "where are the Senators?" Nobody is around to talk. Nobody is here to complain. Less than 25 DEM Senators have come to the floor.

He reminded the Senators that Daschle is out of office, likely in part due to mounting minority opposition to voting on judicial nominations.

Anyway, it's all political theater now, and I'm glad to see the GOP playing it up, against the DEMs. The only surprise would be Reid offering UC to vote on the nomination, without the scheduled intervening cloture vote.

[Dad yer funny]

[sidebar] , I wonder if,in the Senate Record,

...it has Fat Teddy Wetbrain mispronouncing Alito,

... I think it SHOULD be in the record, "Alioto" , indeed!!

[davidosborne]

http://democrats.com/alito-48

I might be a little late on this.. But I just came accross this website.. is this the "official" Democrat Campaign against alito... if it is what a joke !!

[ken5050]

Will the three of you kindly meet, discuss this, figure it out, then please tell the rest of us...many thanks..

seriously, on behalf of all of us, it's been a pleasure to have you all provide your expertise on the Senate rules and regs..

[davidosborne]

http://democrats.com/alito-48

I might be a little late on this.. But I just came accross this website.. is this the "official" Democrat Campaign against alito... if it is what a joke !!

[michigander]

The democrats (actually, the entire senate) agreed by UNANIMOUS CONSENT to limit the post-cloture debate to an hour

Thanks, I was unaware of that fact (of the UC agreement).

Thanks also Cboldt. Please disregard my other reply ken5050. :-)

[Otho]

7 RATS made a deal not to filibuster unless there are extraordinary circumstances, each Senator to determine what is extraordinary. Byrd, Landrieu and Ben Nelson, at least, won't filibuster. I don't know about Prior, Lieberman, Salazar and Inouye although I suspect Inouye won't.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gang_of_14#Democrats

[michigander]

They can do whatever they want with an UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT.

[Cboldt]

At the time of Mr Smith, I don't think they had cloture votes.

Gold / Gupta Summary of Cloture & Filibuster

Senate Rules from 1789 to 1806 permitted calling the question with a simple majority. See http://rules.senate.gov/history.html, Rule IX. This rule was removed in 1806, and in its place was a requirement to obtain unanimous consent to move to the vote. One objecting Senator could stifle the vote.

The cloture rule was first implemented in 1917, on a bipartisan 76-3 vote. (p226). With the concurrence of 2/3rds of the Senators voting, debate would be limited and taking the vote would be set for a time certain. This matches common parliamentary procedure and was published in Robert's Rules of Order in 1876.

In 1949, on a 63-23 vote, the threshold for passing cloture was modified to 2/3rds of the Senators duly chosen and sworn. (p229).

In 1959, a 77-22 vote returned the margin for passing cloture to the original 2/3rds of the Senators present and voting. (p247). Rule XXII was expanded to include rules changes - this is where the "2/3rds of Senators present and voting are required to change the rules" rule comes from. The 1959 changes are referred to as the "Johnson (LBJ) Compromise."

In 1975, Senator Pearson introduced a proposal to change the threshold to 3/5ths of Senators present and voting. (p257). That proposal did not pass. In the same year, Senator Byrd's proposed revision to 3/5ths of all Senators passed on a 56-27 vote, meeting the 2/3rds of the Senators present and voting threshold for implementing a rules change. (p259).

http://www.law.harvard.edu/students/orgs/jlpp/Gold_Gupta_JLPP_article.pdf

[bjc]

What's different from Kerry regular speechifying. Boring is boring.

[A Citizen Reporter]

I've read that Salazar will vote against Alito but will not support a filibuster.

[CharlesWayneCT]

Cboldt's post was accurate, and I believe did not contradict my post, which was addressed to the specific question, while his post gave the details.

[rockthecasbah]

Never interfere with your opponent when he is destroying himself.
Napoleon