Free Republic

WASHINGTON – Kristine Lucius, executive vice president for policy and government affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, issued the following statement on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s vote to advance the nomination of Daniel Bress (U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit). “Bress, a young conservative ideologue, is the third nominee to the Ninth Circuit to advance over the objection of both Ranking Member Feinstein and Senator Harris this year alone. This unravelling of a long-established process is part of Trump’s efforts to reshape the courts and, in particular, to remake the Ninth Circuit, which has...

Senate Republicans, frustrated at Democratic stalling tactics on President Donald Trump’s appointments, moved Thursday to change Senate rules to significantly shorten debate time on most nominees. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he’s making the move in response to “unprecedented obstruction” by Democrats, which have required Republicans to hold time-consuming procedural votes on 128 of Trump’s nominees. […] McConnell said Democrats have dragged out debates on even routine nominations, burning up the Senate’s time and delaying confirmation of scores of Trump appointees. He noted that similar rules were easily — but temporarily — voted into place for the most recent two...

Watched the 1962 movie 'Advice and Consent' on TCM last night. It really is a great political movie. Director Otto Preminger did a great job. I am not sure how they could afford such a great cast. Many stars of Classic Hollywood: Franchot Tone as the (shady) President Lew Ayres as The (simple minded but honest) Vice President Charles Laughton as South Carolina Senator Seabright Cooley Don Murray as young Utah Senator Brigham Anderson Walter Pidgeon as Senate Majority Leader Bob Munson Henry Fonda as a Lefty Academic turned government bureaucrat, nominated for Secretary of State Peter Lawford(then married to...

A North Carolina court has temporarily blocked a state law passed by the GOP-controlled legislature that strips the Democratic governor of his some of his powers. The law required Senate confirmation for the governor’s Cabinet members, which previous governors have not needed. The law was approved in December, just two weeks before Roy Cooper took over as governor. …

The Standing Committee of China’s rubberstamp parliament is meeting to discuss formally acceding to a far-reaching climate change agreement negotiated in Paris last year, amid signs that President Obama is preparing to take the same step — but without Senate ratification — possibly within days. The White House maintains that the climate accord is an executive agreement, not a treaty, and therefore does not require the Senate’s advice and consent. Obama travels to China this week for a G20 summit in Hangzhou, and climate change is high on the agenda both for the summit and for his bilateral meetings with...

President Barack Obama said Monday he believes the Senate has a constitutional obligation to vote on a president’s nomination to the Supreme Court, staking out a position at odds with Republicans and some legal scholars. Obama made the claim in an online video interview about his stalled nomination of U.S. Circuit Court Judge Merrick Garland. Asked if he thought the Constitution’s language about “advice and consent” meant the Senate had an obligation to hold a vote, Obama told BuzzFeed News: “I do.” […]The GOP has pointed out that in 2005, Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid argued that the Constitution doesn’t...

If there is one thing that is bipartisan in Washington, it is brazen hypocrisy. Currently there is much indignation being expressed by Democrats because the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to hold confirmation hearings on President Obama's nominee to the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia. The Democrats complain, and the media echo their complaint, that it is the Senate's duty to provide "advice and consent" on the President's appointment of various federal officials. Therefore, according to this claim, the Senate is neglecting its Constitutional duty by refusing even to hold hearings to determine...

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama nominated Judge Merrick Garland to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Here are five quick facts you need to know about Garland.

President Barack Obama said Wednesday he will reveal his Supreme Court nominee to fill the vacancy of the late Justice Antonin Scalia, expecting to choose from a small circle of federal appeals court judges. “I’ve made my decision,” Obama said in an email to supporters early Wednesday. Obama planned to introduce his pick at a Rose Garden ceremony, setting up a showdown with Senate Republicans who have told the White House not to bother filling the vacancy in an election year. In his email, Obama did not identify his choice to replace the Scalia on the nine-member court. But the...

President Barack Obama says he's looking for a Supreme Court nominee with a sterling record, a deep respect for the judiciary's role and an understanding of how the law affects real people. [...] He writes on the legal blog SCOTUSblog that he's looking for someone who approaches decisions with no "particular ideology or agenda." But Obama says he's also seeking someone guided by his or her "perspective, ethics and judgment." ...

President Barack Obama said on Friday that the deal he and the leaders of five other major powers are trying to cut with the Iranian regime headed by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei is a “political agreement” and “not a formal treaty.”As such, he said, Congress should not ordinarily have authority to sign off on this kind of deal.Obama made the statement when discussing legislation sponsored by Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee and approved unanimously by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that would give Congress 60 days to review an Iran nuclear deal made by the administration. During that 60 days,...

Bowing to pressure from Republicans and his own party, President Barack Obama on Tuesday relented to a compromise empowering Congress to reject the emerging nuclear pact with Iran. The rare and reluctant agreement between the president and the Republican-led Congress came after the White House maintained for weeks that congressional interference could jeopardize sensitive negotiations with Tehran. But lawmakers refused to back down from their insistence that Congress have a formal role in what could be a historic nuclear weapons deal. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee unanimously approved the compromise bill shortly after White House spokesman Josh Earnest conveyed the...

The US Congress will have a say on a nuclear deal with Iran, under a new agreement reached with the White House. President Barack Obama withdrew his opposition to a bipartisan bill that was unanimously passed through the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The bill means the administration must immediately send text of a final deal to Congress. An outline agreement on the future shape of Iran's nuclear programme was reached after marathon talks in April. The US, Iran, and four other nations have set a deadline of 30 June to finalise a deal which would ease western sanctions in exchange...

Suppose you are in a general partnership with Smith. Smith handles day-to-day management, subject to your approval. But recently, he’s been acting somewhat high-handedly. Without consulting you, Smith is busy negotiating a contract with Macropus International Corp., a company notorious for unscrupulous practices. Smith has made it clear he plans to bind your firm whether you like it or not. You know that under the law of general partnerships, unless you speak up Smith will be able to lock you and your firm into a very bad deal. This is because, as a rule, any partner in a general partnership...

While all of America is distracted and focused on the death of Osama bin Laden, our President and his minions have been fast at work laying the groundwork for S. 679: Presidential Appointment Efficiency and Streamlining Act of 2011 to speed through the Senate and then make its way into the House and then to the President to sign. Yes, the other hand is quickly forming into a dictatorial fist that is about to smash our Constitution. As you will recall, the beginning of the end of liberty in Rome commenced with Augustus Caesar who compromised the authority of the...

----- , October 11, 2009 8:24:00 PM Subject: Fwd: INTERESTING appointments again... Fwd: INTERESTING appointments again... Sent: Saturday, October 10, 2009 9:01:27 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific Subject: Fw: INTERESTING appointments again... This President has been outed for appointing several other assistants, aides, Czars and other flunkies that are supposed to be confirmed by the Senate. They know nothing about any of them. The ones below are just more fodder for the fire. I bet you never saw this in any newspaper in the USA ? Another very Quiet appointment? Obama Appoints 2 Devout Muslims to Homeland Security Posts (NOTE:...

WASHINGTON - Senate GOP leaders plan to confirm Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito early next week after dealing with a filibuster threat from Democratic die-hards who worry that the conservative judge would swing the court too far to the right.A final vote making the New Jersey jurist the nation’s 110th Supreme Court justice was scheduled for Tuesday morning, only hours before President Bush begins his State of the Union address to Congress and the nation, if Alito’s bipartisan supporters succeed in rounding up 60 votes to cut off debate on Monday.<SNIP>A Democratic senator who plans to vote against Alito’s confirmation,...

Contact: Press Office 202-863-8614  “To even suggest a filibuster against a nominee as qualified as Judge Alito reflects a philosophy so out of touch that it’s bordering on reckless. The judicial confirmation process, particularly one for the nation’s highest court, should be insulated from such thoughtless bomb throwing in an effort to remain relevant. One can't help but wonder if the consummate candidate was for Judge Alito, before he was against him.”-Tracey Schmitt, RNC Press Secretary SEN. JOHN KERRY (D-MA) CALLS IN ALITO FILIBUSTER FROM SWITZERLAND“Sen. John Kerry Has Decided To Support A Filibuster To Block The Nomination Of Judge Samuel...

(Washington - AP) — US Senator Jim Jeffords says he will oppose the nomination of Samuel Alito to the US Supreme Court. Jeffords says that while he believes Alito is qualified to serve on the court, he does not believe the country would be served by his judicial philosophy. The independent senator says that he does not believe Alito fully appreciates the limits on the power of the presidency.

Judge Samuel Alito Jr., whose entire history suggests that he holds extreme views about the expansive powers of the presidency and the limited role of Congress, will almost certainly be a Supreme Court justice soon. His elevation will come courtesy of a president whose grandiose vision of his own powers threatens to undermine the nation's basic philosophy of government — and a Senate that seems eager to cooperate by rolling over and playing dead.It is hard to imagine a moment when it would be more appropriate for senators to fight for a principle. Even a losing battle would draw the...