[Behind Liberal Lines]

He should have given them all a recess appointment.

[theDentist]

My only question of this is: Why did he wait so long? He has known since Day 1 that the Dems would deep-six and delay on every jurist he puts up. As soon as a recess comes up he should just install them.

[sam_paine]

Ralph Neas, NOW, NARAL, Daschle and Schumer are all outraged, thus proving that this is a good thing.

[Condor51]

I'm saddened, and troubled that Sen Tammy Daschound (D-Munchkinland) did not say he was ''deeply disappointed, etc, etc, etc.''

[pabianice]

Stand by for an endless series of Rep ads this fall, as the RNC replays Liberal *ssh*les in the Senate slandering conservative judicial nominees.

[WorkingClassFilth]

How dare he! Shock! Outrage! Into the streets! ;)

I suppose a three year obstruction process and a final executive appointment could work pretty well at that (Didn't krinton pioneer this method?). Now, let's see if Robert Bork could be persuaded to return to the bench...

[Xthe17th]

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY), a Judiciary Committee member, called the appointment "a finger in the eye"

Graphic request.

[Marysecretary]

When the democrats start to whine and cry and complain, you KNOW the President is doing something right! Good job!

[Puppage]

Bush Defies Senate Democrats

No. They defied HIM. They can give advise & council...they're not supposed to fillibuster, or gain a super majority. They was not the intent of our Forefathers.

[cake_crumb]

Oh, he's out for the throat of the Dem party. The Timing is absolutely excellent. No muss. No fuss. No more filibuster. Looks like Hillary! and co have been forcibly dministered a dose of Senate Ex Lax. At a time when they can do NOTHING about it but whine that the president is "frustrated with the slow pace of his dismemberment of the federal judiciary," and "forcibly installed" Pickering.

The above is a real quote from this article in The Chatanoogan... which also says Bush is Rove's "sock puppet". Sound familiar?

[<1/1,000,000th%]

About time.

[Cicero]

So far I am entirely satisfied with Bush's handling of judicial appointments, probably the single most important thing he needs to do as president.

Unlike earlier Republican presidents he has come up with genuinely conservative candidates and has stuck with them, instead of withdrawing them after a token fight and putting up lousy "compromise" candidates instead, like Justice Souter.

It would have been politically destructive for him to rush a bunch of interim appointments. Keep in mind that interim appointments last only a year, and what we need is to put hundreds of judges on the bench for a lifetime. It wouldn't help politically if he gave the impression of being rushed and arbitrary about the process.

Most important is to put heavy pressure on the Democrats to break their obstruction of appointments. That can be done by a) increasing the number of Republican senators in the next congress; and b) demonstrating to sitting Democrat senators, especially southerners, that they are risking their seats by their obstructionism.

Ever since the impeachment trial, the Democrats have hung together on every important issue, and regardless of the potential political damage, unlike the Republicans. Bush needs to break that habit decisively. This is the way to do it.

As long as he refrains from making BAD judicial appointments, I think he can be trusted after reelection, on this fundamental issue.

[rdb3]

Dear Mr. President,

Please rescind Judge Pickering's recess appointment. The holier-than-thou conservatives don't like your motives behind the appointment. It's wonderful that you did make this appointment, but they still don't like it.

[King Prout]

hrmn... Chuckie Schumer, Paddy Leahy, Tommy Dasshole, ole Weak-Neas, and the shrewish crones of NOW and NARAL...

All the usual suspects. All the usual pap.
almost all: what has Teddy to say of this?

as if I care, aside from possible amusement value.

Finally, Dubya has begun to paddle the damned dims on a subject which will matter after he is gone.
About damned time.

[davidosborne]

Just heard about this GREAT NEWS !!.. I missed this big news while I was in Drill Sgt. School...

David