Posted on 01/28/2005 1:18:17 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) told HUMAN EVENTS he would resist pressure from Democrats to hold new hearings on the judicial nominees that President Bush plans to soon renominate. Most of the nominees have already undergone questioning by members of the Judiciary Committee, leaving Specter with the option of bypassing another round of hearings and instead sending them to the floor for a vote.
"In general, I do not propose to have rehearings," Specter said. "There would have to be an exceptional circumstance that would require a hearing. We've already had hearings."
Specter, however, said he might subject two appellate court nominees--Defense Department counsel William Haynes and Brigham Young University counsel Thomas Griffith--to another round of hearings. Sparks are likely to fly over both nominees. Haynes's first hearing came in November 2003, prior to the abuse scandal at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Griffith, meanwhile, has run into trouble over an expired law license he forgot to renew. He had a sparsely attended hearing last November.
A spokesman for Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) scoffed at the idea Republicans would forgo hearings. "What is being suggested would make an already problematic process for these nominations even more troublesome," said Jim Manley, staff director for the Senate Democratic Communications Center.
Even with Specter's not planning to hold new hearings for the old nominees, the clock is ticking for Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.), who promised to bring one of the Bush nominees to a vote on the Senate floor in February. The White House, however, has yet to submit the nominees to the Senate for consideration. Specter said he expects Bush to do so in "due course." White House spokeswoman Erin Healy told HUMAN EVENTS: "The process is moving along. As soon as we have something to announce, we'll let you know."
Senate Republicans have refused to disclose who the first nominee to face a vote might be, but some view California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown and Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen as ideal. Brown was the first black woman to sit on California's high court.
In a January 4 speech to open the 109th Congress, Frist said he wouldn't hesitate to change Senate procedures if Democrats tried to filibuster the nominee, as they did to 10--including Brown and Owen--in the last Congress.
Robert B. Bluey is Assistant Editor for HUMAN EVENTS
Having observed W in action, I believe this is in the works. The Dems are going to get slaughtered on this. They are Soooo vulnerable. Especially on the Social Security booby prize African-Americans keep getting.
Two male workers, one white, one black. Same age, same job, same pay, same years worked. The black worker will get 78% of what the white worker gets for Social Security. This is because of the fact that whites live longer than blacks. With privatization, the worker would at least be able to pass on the account to his heirs, helping them to build wealth and position.
But Democrats hate the idea of a wealthier black population, because they become more independent and are much less loyal to the Dems Dependency Plantation System.
No matter what he says, Sphincter will fold and do what Fat Teddy wants. And, weal sister Frist will do nothing about it. We are being sold out by pretend Republicans who are being extorted by Kennedy/Leahy/Schumer&Biden.
He'll mess with the Donks a bit to give him cover for royally screwing the Republicans
Meanwhile, the President needs to send JANICE ROGERS BROWN first. STOP everything in the Senate until she gets a vote. Let's see if Di-Fi and Box-O-Rox have the balls to filibuster JRB, who is from California and very popular...
Bingo! Send that idea to the White House,RNC and conservative talk show hosts. Expose the racism of the Democrat party. Doing that on top of their treatment of Dr. Rice would expose their so called championship of civil rights for what it is: empty rhetoric.
We've got the votes in the Senate and we've got THE MAN in the White House. It's time to kick ass!!
Strategery followed by Schardenfreude = Stratenschardenfreudery
word is that Janice Brown will be brought up within the month. Boxer would filibuster her. Feinstein...don't know.
Thanks for the info! I think Feinstein will vote for her. Will try and find out.
Dems will show their racism again.
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