discovered at last!
Posted on 04/26/2005 1:34:06 PM PDT by andyk
WASHINGTON -- Reacting to a Democratic offer in the fight over filibusters, Republican leader Bill Frist said Tuesday he isn't interested in any deal that fails to ensure Senate confirmation for all of President Bush's judicial nominees.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid had been quietly talking with Frist about confirming at least two of Bush's blocked nominees from Michigan in exchange for withdrawing a third nominee. Story Continues Below
This would have been part of a compromise that would have the GOP back away from a showdown over changing Senate rules to prevent Democrats from using the filibuster to block Bush's nominees. But Frist, in a rare news conference conducted on the Senate floor, said he would not accept any deal that keeps his Republican majority from confirming judicial nominees that have been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"Are we going to step back from that principle? The answer to that is no," Frist said.
That means he and Reid are still at deadlock, because Democrats have said they would not accept any deals that would permanently ban them from blocking Bush's nominees to the Supreme Court or the federal appellate courts, the top two tiers of the judicial system.
"As part of any resolution, the nuclear option must be off the table," said Reid, referring to the GOP threat to change the filibuster rules.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan, traveling in Texas with Bush, said "our view is that Senate Democrats need to stop playing politics and give all judicial nominees an up or down vote."
"It's unprecedented, the steps they've gone to to prevent highly qualified judges from receiving simply an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate," he said.
Frist and Reid both acknowledged that they are constantly negotiating, trying to find a solution where the Senate does not have a showdown over whether Republicans will change the parliamentary rules to ban judicial filibusters.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Judiciary Committee, said Sunday there had been a "a lot of negotiations to try to get three judges from Michigan" confirmed. Other senators have referred vaguely in recent days to discussions surrounding Bush's nominations to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, whose jurisdiction includes Michigan.
That proposed deal, officials speaking on condition of anonymity said, would include allowing the confirmation of Richard Griffin and David McKeague, both of whom Bush has twice nominated for the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. At the same time, Reid wants the nomination of Henry Saad scuttled. Democrats succeeded in blocking all three men from coming to a vote in 2004 in a struggle that turned on issues of senatorial prerogatives as well as ideology.
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., has led the opposition to all three men. He said Republicans had refused even to hold hearings on two of former President Bill Clinton's nominees to the 6th Circuit.
The officials spoke only on condition of anonymity, citing the confidential nature of the conversations between the two leaders.
Frist would not talk about specifics on Tuesday, but said he would not advocate the withdrawal of any judicial nominee and would continue to insist they all get confirmation votes. "That would mean people in the past as well as the future," Frist said.
Republicans have threatened to use their majority to change long-standing senatorial rules that Democrats used to block 10 of Bush's first-term appeals court nominations. They fear a Democratic blockade could affect a Supreme Court vacancy if a high court seat opens in Bush's second term.
Democrats argue that the nominees are too conservative to warrant lifetime appointments to the nation's highest courts. They have threatened to block the seven nominees that Bush sent back after winning re-election, and any others they consider out of the mainstream of judicial temperament.
Democrats drew criticism when they threatened to slow the Senate's business if Republicans eliminate judicial filibusters. Democratic leaders began stressing an alternative approach Monday, attempting to force debate on their own agenda rather than the president's.
"I've always said that we'd make sure the Senate went forward, but we're going to do it on our agenda, not their agenda," Reid said.
Frist applauded what he called a move by Democrats to back away from their earlier threats to shut down the Senate. "I'm pleased that their caucus is moving away from that threat," Frist said.
Republicans can essentially eliminate judicial filibusters by majority vote, and Democrats concede Frist may be only one or two votes shy of the necessary total. At the same time, internal GOP polling shows lagging public support for such a move, and no showdown is expected until next month at the earliest.
"That's good they are making a stand!"
Democrats only talk compromise when they're cornered. Frist's response was the right one, assuming the Republicans aren't going to fold later. The Republicans need to win this or stand to alienate their base. If winning the White House, the Senate and the House means the Republicans are still powerless to pick judges, we're doomed.
internal GOP polling shows lagging public support for such a move...
Now, that is really disappointing
Don't you believe it
.
discovered at last!
Dr. Frist is a blade, not a flea and so could not care about polls.
My bet is that he knows when to cut .... and hopefully will clean that festering Democratic-pseudo-filibuster abcess.
Exactly! That's what leadership is.
Frist's a chiropractor..aligned the GOP spine in the Senate..
Frist and the true Republicans in the senate have heard us loud and clear on this, especially the favorite "Not One Thin Dime Until...." line. They had better check the contents of their scrotums' and DO this thing. We have had it and they know it.
The lefties have everything to lose in this fight and they know it. They are in a corner and at the end of their rope. The Republican party should start realizing what a fighin' bunch of supporters and members that they really have. I'm proud of all of us.
FYI: upon learning of the proposed "compromise" from the Dems I promptly emailed Senator Frist. It went as follows: Dear Senator Frist, regarding the proposed "compromise" from the Democrat leadership on the filibuster matter...DON'T...YOU...DARE!!
Sincerely, Timmy
That nasty partisan spin in the first sentence jumped right out me too.
The polls are not accurate.
Take a vote. If there is a majority for whoever, consider him/her confirmed. I think that is what is going to happen here. Bet the Dems wish they never started this especially after finding out that there's a lot more moral (and pro life) people around than they thought.....and it has little to do with religion....We all know that killing babies is not acceptable.
We need to keep calling these swing senators: McCain, Hagel, Warner, Specter, Collins, Snowe, and Chafee......
And tell them to support the Constitutional Option to stop the filibuster of the Judges!
FREE Number to US Capitol Switchboard: 1-877-762-8762
If this is true, I hereby issue a RORO: Republican Opus Rescind Order.
Way to go Timmy!
Until those Justices are on the Court, Bolton is whipping Kofi and the President doesn't lose any of his Constitutional Rights in "compromise" to the Democrats we need to keep flooding them. keep hitting the mavericks. Keep hitting the RINO's. Keep hitting the red state Dems. Keep hitting Frist, McConnell and Santorum. We aren't going to let this go until it is reality. We saw what can happen when we let our guard down (Voinovich). No premature celebrations.
However, I agree with you. The reason everything has changed in a week is because we scared the Reps straight. It started the moment Voinovich "followed his conscience" and hasn't let up since. Now we are seeing Spine begin to emerge. they are starting to talk like the majority we gave them. Now, we need action.
END the Filibuster. Confirm Bolton. NOW. Not a Dime, not a Vote, until they do so.
Depends on what question is asked. If the pollster asks, should the President's nominees get an up-or-down vote, 80% or more of the American public agree. RATS and media are shamelessly and hypocritically (both as usual) trying to confuse the American people.
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