Posted on 11/13/2006 10:26:59 PM PST by Avoiding_Sulla
Why is Lincoln Chafee Now Simply Not Removed from the Senate Foreign Relations Commuttee?
Assuming another lame duck Senator doesn't decide to play snake, Bolton's appointment to the UN then finally passes passes out of committee on a 9 to 8 vote.
Why not? If Robert Byrd wanted to do something nobody ever heard of while his party was in the majority, he'd unearth some parliamentary maneuver to get the job done.
Even the stupid party can't ignore factual procedures thrust in their face -- unless they don't want to hear it.
C'mon. There must be a way to do this.
What is it?
Because our Senate leadership has no backbone for starters!
It wouldn't matter. Even if he was removed, or Chafee voted for him, passing out of committee isn't enough, you have to pass the full Senate.
And the D's will do what they did last time, filibuster while claiming they aren't filibustering. And this time, they won't have to do it long.
paging Rush Limbaugh!
I thought I made it clear I knew the full senate has to vote. It would still be a grand thing to see pulled off.
Are you saying that there's really nothing stopping Chafee's late session removal?
Are you saying that there's really nothing stopping Chafee's late session removal?
It doesn't matter. He'd still be blocked on the senate floor.
The lack of majority rule in the senate has been frustrating these past 4 years, but we'll learn to appreciate this fact of life over the next two years. Pelosi may be able to ram through anything she wants in the House, but it will come to a dead stop in the Senate.
Not if Frist grew some balls. Nuclear option.
I'd say we all know what is likely in front of the full senate. But this time Bolton has a track record the Dems will find hard embarrassing to deride.
And that's a good thing, isn't it?
Are you saying that there's really nothing stopping Chafee's late session removal?
That only applies to judicial nominees. Getting rid of the filibuster entirely would be a disaster to the republic.
You honestly want to destroy the filibuster rule right before we're about to become the minority party? Over Bolton??? Hillary may be President in two years, and we might still be in the minority in the senate, but the filibuster rule will be enough to stop some of her loonier ideas and nominees.
You want to get rid of the filibuster rule when we will be in the minority for the next 4 years.
I don't know the answer. I'd assume it'd be much harder to remove someone from a committee in the senate than it would be in the House. My understanding is it takes a 2/3rd vote to organize the senate and set committee ratios. The Republicans could even refuse to allow the Democrats to reorganize next year and take over the committees - because of the 2/3 rule. (but they won't)
Backbone of leadership and not worth the hassle would be my guess.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was voted in 96 to 3. I hope the Republicans will give the Dems a hard time should the Dems get the presidency in 2008, but going by past performance, I'm not holding my breath.
Damned good question. And the hell with the naysayers on this thread. No good deed is ever lost. If the GOP shows backbone on this one, it's a nice way to start the new Congress, isn't it?
Darn good question.
Probably not, but if he can't make it through the full Senate, who really cares? It's a waste of time.
If we are going to try to pull something during the lame duck session, we should do whatever we can to force the tax cuts to be made permenent. That would be a lot more useful then a mastubatory move to push Bolton through committee when he can't credibly get a floor vote.
I don't think a floor vote would be as tough on the GOP as on the Dems this time.
The UN has never been at a lower approval rating than now.
Bolton has a track record that is well in line with that sentiment.
Hence the Dems will it find at best embarrassing to deride him, and would put more strength behind the newly elected (allegedly) conservative Blue Dogs.
Which, in turn, might help skuttle some of Pelosi's projected wingnut committee chair designees.
Those are all good things to fight for, aren't they?
I think this is one of those rare times that thinking outside the box really can pay off.
Well then, start passing this question around.
How about hitting the talkshows tomorrow with this question?
I'm not sure Bill Bennett is up on procedures like this -- but he has connections and could find out.
Laura Ingraham is probably our best bet. Is there a live thread for her show? Why not ask this question and see how far it runs. If it doesn't get ducked perhaps there's hope.
It's never too late.
Well, you're with me them. We'd sure like an answer to the question.
See post 22.
Before the election, the Dems agreed to let Bolton get confirmed. He was going to get confirmed and everyone knew it. Chaffee scuttled it.
That makes the question considerably more significant.
Do you know the answer?
Sounds good to me. Or, they could make them fillibuster for real-through Christmas. That would require back-bone so I doubt it would ever happen.
Because the GOP and Bush don't operate that way. They don't play hardball with people like Chaffee.
The U.N. isn't on anyone's top ten list of concerns, Democrat or Republican. The vast, silent majority doesn't know who John Bolton is and doesn't care.
There will be good fights in the next two years, but it'd be criminally inept to stake much energy on this lost cause. Save your tinder for what's to come.
I simply do not understand why we send anyone to the UN.
Sure it's great to have a Bolton, but if we can't have him and the demoncrats filibuster - then fine - let it be known - loud and clear - that unless Bolton gets appointed we won't name anyone, and the position remains unfilled.
That should tick off the liberals, but I doubt if anyone else would mind.
Same philosophy goes for the judges too. Give my appointments a full Senate vote or the slots stay vacant. And keep sending one conservative judge up for a vote after another.
Did I read a post stating there were three newly elected Dem's who ran on a conservative ticket? Anti abortion, pro-gun,
anti homosexual.
If there is such as these three would they lean to the right?
But this is about enforcement. Chafee is a complete lame duck. He can't retaliate in the next Congress. He is defanged -- except for the Bolton blockage.
Some on this thread make this removal seem like a big thing. Others seem to think is really is small -- but nevertheless consequential even for those who don't like the UN.
So, let's ask: Does the GOP leadership really want Bolton blocked? It seems that however unlikely that thought appears, it's probabity increases every day Chafee stays in a position to block Bolton from leaving committee without a full explanation for Chafee remaining.
President Bush pulled out all the stops for Chaffee, and basically did more for him then any other Senator this election cycle. Isn't reasonable to think that he would ask Chaffee to do something for him. Basically Chaffee did not feel he had to do anything for Bush in return for what Bush did for him.
Easy. Call in a hit from the Sopranos!
I.e., Chafee is almost certainly a made man.
And if that is why nobody dares remove him, we're in deeper yogurt than anybody is aware.
I just sent this thread to Rush....maybe he will comment on it the next couple of days????
Please keep us posted. It would be a good thing to get this question answered and then see where that leads us. Maybe nowhere -- but even that has the advantage of letting us know where we stand.
Send his a$$ to Texas...we don't like yogurt either!!! (grins)..we'll get ole Pedro from Farmers Branch...he is pi$$ed...and to get a LIN-Connn....
My Senator, who sits in the Big Chair up front and swings the Big Gavel for a few more weeks, says that Congress works more on personal networking than on political majorities. Although chairmen and some committee memberships will be changing, the working relations will change only slightly. Congress is still divided nearly 50-50 and will continue so after the new ones are sworn in.
Nope they give them important committee assignments to keep them in the GOP...Chaffee has never been a republican and we didn't need him this last time around...they should have dumped him before now...Specter too. Lots of help he was.
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