I think he was referring to Arlen Specter.
Who is a little bastard.
-Dan
Posted on 01/04/2005 2:06:11 PM PST by hinterlander
Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) said Tuesday he wouldn't change the Senate's filibuster rule at the start of the 109th Congress, essentially preserving the Democrats' ability to block President Bush's judicial nominees from winning Senate confirmation.
In a speech Tuesday opening the 109th Congress, the GOP leader instead called for cooperation among Republicans and Democrats. "I seek cooperation, not confrontation," Frist said. "Cooperation does not require support for the nominees. Cooperation simply means voting judicial nominees brought to the floor up or down."
Former Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R.-Utah), writing for HUMAN EVENTS last month, wanted to change Senate Rule XXII, which governs the filibuster, this week. Hatch noted that only 51 votes would be needed (as opposed to 67 once the Senate convenes) to change the rule, thereby preventing a minority of Democrats from permanently holding up a nominee. Hatch’s plan would give Democrats time to debate a nominee, but would eventually cut off discussion after four votes on the Senate floor.
Frist did not completely rule out a change to Rule XXII in the future--"I reserve the right to propose changes … and do not acquiesce to carrying over all the rules from the last Congress," he said--but a Senate aide told HUMAN EVENTS it would be much more difficult to make changes during the middle of the Senate's session as opposed to the beginning.
Frist's reluctance to go along with Hatch's plan--despite offering a Senate resolution in 2003 that did essentially the same thing--leaves Republicans with limited options to counter the Democrat-led filibusters. Because Republicans control only 55 seats-- five short of the 60 needed to overcome a filibuster--they are likely stuck in the same situation they faced in the 108th Congress when Democrats successfully blocked 10 of Bush's nominees.
"Some I know have suggested that the filibusters of the last Congress are reason enough to offer a procedural change today, right here and right now," Frist said Tuesday in his statement. "But at this moment I do not chose that path. Our Democratic colleagues have new leadership, and in the spirit of bipartisanship, I want to extend my hand across the aisle."
Democrats, however, have shown little willingness to cooperate with Frist and allow the Senate to vote on Bush's judicial nominees. In fact, when Bush renominated 20 judicial candidates on Dec. 23 who didn't win confirmation in the 108th Congress, Democrats immediately pounced on the President.
"I was extremely disappointed to learn today that the president intends to begin the new Congress by resubmitting the nomination of extremist judicial nominees," Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) said in a statement at the time. "Last Congress, Senate Democrats worked with the President to approve 204 judicial nominees, rejecting only 10 of the most extreme."
What else is new?
Unbelievable. Why do we even bother working so hard to get Reps elected?
I can only take this as a signal that they will also cave on judicial nominations.
Dr. Bill Frist is a renowned surgeon specializing in Heart and Lung transplants. He was the founder of the Vanderbilt University transplant center. He is Majority Leader of the United States Senate, only the 20th man to hold that position since 1920.
What are your qualifications to call him a "little bastard"?
Agree with you BUMP! I want to find my way back here for the crow eating fest after the 1st judicial nomination filibuster attempt.
whatta idiot!
the democrats understand how to use power.
the republicans, not a clue.
No, the GOP has not used the filibuster to prevent a floor vote on judicial nominees. They managed to defeat a couple of clintoon's nominees and kept one or two from ever getting out of committee, but they have not filibustered a nominee that has been sent to the committee from the floor.
Sorry, I didn't know you were talking about Specter, not Frist. Specter IS a "little bast*rd".
I didn't say Frist was a puppet - where did you get that ..??
I think your reply is just over the top - frankly!
I'm talking about REPUBLICANS working together with REPUBLICANS to accomplish things. I seriously doubt Daschle (when he was majority leader) paid any attention to what Bush wanted to do - because Daschle is a DEMOCRAT.
I'm talking about the basic agenda within the Senate - what bills are brought to the floor, etc. I think you're over reacting to what I said. But .. of course Frist would want to assist the President - being as how they are both REPUBLICANS. Not because the President runs the Senate, but because there are issues the President wants to put forth this term and Frist can assist Bush by bringing certain issues to the floor for disscussions and votes.
If you think for one minute that DEMOCRATS did not do the same thing - you have your head buried in the sand. In fact, the dem senate was so tight with the President - they would not vote to remove him from office.
I'm just curious...why do you think the Reps would dare to use the filibuster of judicial nominees as a campaign issue in 08 if they didn't use it in 04?
Who is a little bastard.
-Dan
What a coincidence, most conservatives would also be much happier with him back in Tennessee!
See 187
Yeah, Bill Frist has an 88 lifetime ACU rating. Send him home.
This place has become a looney bin.
The Republicans shouldn't be filibustering Judicial Nominees either. Advise & Consent CAN'T mean a supermajority for every controversial nominee, we'll never get anything done.
Sure, the rules can be changed at anytime:
When the US Senate first organizes this week it takes only 51 votes to adopt the US Senate rules. The Senate normally adopts the rules from the previous Senate. One of these rules is Rule XXII, the so-called 'filibuster' and 'cloture' rule, which in the 108th Congress required 60 votes to force 'cloture'. If the Senate Rule XXII was modified NOW, then it would only take 51 votes to adopt the modified rule at the beginning of the session.
AFTER the rules are adopted it will most probably require the 60 votes for cloture to modify the Senate Rule XXII itself.
Summary:
51 votes now, 60 votes by the end of the week and for the next two years...
Frist chickened out.
dvwjr
The only thing the rats understand is hardball, we have to start
playing rough.My thinking as well.
Frist's intentions are really good, I know. But the thing is, the GOP
tries to play by the rules and with honor, while the 'RATS use every
trick in the book to obstruct and shiite all over the GOP.The 'RATS are just shameless.
-PJ
if Bush names a prominent conservative minority, the media will make that the issue and justify the Democrat obstruction, which would embolden them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here's the issue that terrifies the media, America is a CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN NATION!! It may have dozons of religious sects, or denominations, and divisions between Catholics and protestants, but is nevertheless a Nation that accepts biblical Christianity.
If the media takes this approach, it will continue to collapse even more quickly... And taking this approach will also so clearly differentiate the liberal, immoral left from the right that 2006 will be another disaster for the left.
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