Posted on 05/07/2005 9:43:25 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON - Sen. Charles Schumer (news, bio, voting record), a leading Democrat in the fight over judicial nominees, urged President Bush to intervene and rein in the strongest conservative critics of Democratic opposition to some candidates.
Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered his party's weekly radio address Saturday, in which he decried "a whiff of extremism in the air the likes of which we haven't seen in decades."
Without naming any, Schumer criticized "small groups ... trying to undermine the age-old checks and balances that the Founding Fathers placed at the center of the Constitution."
Democrats have blocked 10 of Bush's appellate court choices with the threat of filibusters, which means those nominees would need 60 votes to be confirmed. Republicans are considering using their majority to change rules to require a simple majority vote for confirmation.
In his radio appeal, Schumer sought to draw Bush more directly into the fray by urging the president to denounce some conservatives who have used harsh language to criticize the Democrats.
"I am making a heartfelt plea to you, Mr. President. When you came to Washington, you said you wanted to change the climate in D.C.," Schumer said. "Those stating these abhorrent views count themselves as your political allies. One word from you will bring a halt to these un-American statements. That would be a way to strengthen democracy here at home."
The senator referred generally to some activists comparing judges to the Ku Klux Klan and terrorists.
Schumer's message marked the second week in a row Democrats chose a New Yorker to make the party's radio address on the issue of judicial nominees.
Former Gov. Mario Cuomo, once considered for a spot on the Supreme Court by President Clinton, made a similar appeal last week, arguing against the Republican effort to end judicial filibusters.
Republicans have also complained about some of the Democratic language in the judges debate. The GOP and some Jewish groups criticized Sen. Robert Byrd (news, bio, voting record), a West Virginia Democrat, for alluding to the rise of Adolf Hitler in a speech about Republican efforts to end judicial filibusters.
Schumer charged a small group of conservatives have "tremendous influence over the Republican Party and seems to be dictating its politics and policy" on the judges issue.
"Americans are a mainstream people, and we are a people of faith. Most of us believe deeply in God, but we also believe deeply in the right of debate and compromise," the senator said.
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methinks the c'RATs smell the ozone.. ;-)
Hard to do when Schumer's leader calls the President a loser.
Good thing this was radio. No way he could have kept a straight face while reading such a script.
LOL.. That was a special touch by ol' Dusty.
He must have been out of crow so he ate his foot instead.
The clueless, the devoid of ideas , The 'Rats
If the dems had to votes to stop the rule change they would not be yelling so loudly about how bad it would be for the GOP to attempt it. They'd just block the rule change.
Now all we have to do is get limp frist to call the darn vote already.
"a whiff of extremism in the air"
Doesn't realize that is his own stench!
"trying to undermine the age-old checks and balances"
dosesn't recognize himself when he looks in a mirror?
AKAKAKAKAKAK!!!
Chuck Schumer will not allow any practicing Roman Catholic of Evangelical Christian on the federal judiciary. He is deeply bigoted and hypocritical.
Chuck Schumer will not allow any practicing Roman Catholic OR Evangelical Christian on the federal judiciary. He is deeply bigoted and hypocritical.
I'm looking forward to seeing little Chuckie pee his pants when Frist pulls the trigger.
He is somewhat palgarizing jerry nadler, who during the 2000 election visit to Florida, said,
"There is a whiff of fascism in the air".
Same old tired talking points.
Schumer is lying.
Every time I think a dem couldn't have less of a clue about American Government I'm surprised all over again by some new depth of stupidity.
I notice a whiff of feces coming out of Schumers mouth.
Yeah, UpChuck, and it's all coming from YOUR party! You and the rest of the Dems started this fight, and the President aims to finish it.
The President came to DC with the idea of working with the Dems as he had done, successfully, in Texas. Unfortunately, the Dems in DC are a breed apart, and were only looking to make the President look bad in everything they did. They are frustrated now, because they see it hasn't worked, and that he increased his support in the last election. This has made them even MORE recalcitrant, and with their lapdogs in the MSM have thrown everything they can think of at the President, and the people he has nominated. Nothing has stuck so far, and that has made them even MORE mad. The only bright spot they can see is the wobbly RINOS in the Senate, so we need to work hard to get them back to the President's side.
Yep. That must be it. You nailed the source for the "whiff of excremism", but I have not been aware that Schumer is a ventriloquist, for that's where his mouth must be.
Bingo! They are calling on the President to "rein it in", because if he doesn't they are going to get the butts kicked. This is no time to play nice. They had the chance to be sentient beings and they cast it aside. Screw em.
Wrong, wrong, wrong, lie, misleading, and rehashed talking points from last week! They are trying to make the filibuster rule to be this "grand old tradition", one that several current democratic senators railed against just years go.
The senates advise and consent role to the president does not require a supermajority. The filibuster rule which is entirely changeable by a majority vote, is counterproductive to the senates entire purpose. I know this has been gone over a million times here but no one in the MSM will talk about the dems like Byrd who this "constitutional" action should be named after.
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