Posted on 05/11/2005 9:42:36 AM PDT by conservativecorner
WASHINGTON -- A long-threatened showdown over changing Senate rules to stop Democratic filibusters of President Bush's judicial nominations could come as early as next week, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said Tuesday.
Frist, in his weekly news conference with reporters, said he hopes the Senate finishes a highway bill and an emergency spending package to fund military operations overseas this week. "And then we need to turn to 100 United States senators and move to the issue surrounding judges," he said. Story Continues Below
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said he's ready and expects to win. "I want to be clear: We are prepared for a vote on the nuclear option," Reid said in a letter to Frist, referring to the GOP threat to change the filibuster rules. "Democrats will join responsible Republicans in a vote to uphold the constitutional principle of checks and balances."
Democrats have blocked 10 of Bush's appellate court choices through filibuster threats, requiring those nominees to get 60 votes in the 100-member Senate instead of the simple majority needed for Senate confirmation. None of the 10 could clear that threshold.
Democrats have again threatened to block the seven Bush renominated this year, as well as future nominees they consider outside the mainstream of legal thinking. Frist and Republicans in turn have threatened to use their majority to change Senate rules so that filibusters would not be permitted for judicial confirmations.
Conservatives have been pushing Frist to get the rules changed in expectation of a Supreme Court vacancy during Bush's second term.
Frist suggested that the nomination of former Interior Department lawyer William Myers for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco could be the first test vote.
Myers, blocked by Democrats last year, was the first of the seven judicial nominees to get approval from the Judiciary Committee this year and has been waiting on a floor vote.
Senate Judiciary chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., suggested Monday the Senate should take up nominees in the order that his committee moves them for approval. "I think it's time to do that," Frist said, referring to Specter's remarks.
While Myers is opposed by environmentalists because of his record as the Interior Department's top lawyer during Bush's first term and his representation of ranching and mining interest as a private attorney, Republicans believe he could get more votes from Democrats than the other filibustered nominees.
That means if Democrats don't filibuster Myers again, former Senate lawyer Thomas Griffith's nomination to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia would be next, followed by Texas judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and California judge Janice Rogers Brown's nomination to the D.C. circuit, according to the Senate calendar.
Reid, D-Nev., offered Monday to help Frist confirm Griffith first, who was never given a confirmation vote from the GOP-controlled Judiciary Committee. Frist rejected the offer, saying all Bush nominees deserve the opportunity for a confirmation vote.
Reid, in his letter, reiterated his offer to help confirm Griffith as a bonus to his previous proposal. He suggested allowing confirmation for three nominees - Michigan nominees Richard Griffin, David McKeague and Susan Neilson - plus one of the four most controversial nominees: Owen, Brown, Myers and William Pryor.
The others would be dropped.
He also suggested that Frist push a previous plan to reduce the number of senators needed to break a filibuster. Although that plan would required 67 senators' agreement, "I don't think that is an insurmountable obstacle for some improvements in the process by which the Senate considers judicial nominees," Reid's letter said.
He again rejected Frist's compromise offer to allow up to 100 hours of debate for each appeals court and Supreme Court nominee, followed by a guaranteed confirmation vote requiring only a simple majority.
"Your proposal simply places a delayed fuse on the nuclear option," Reid said in his letter to Frist.
Just have the showdown, crush the liberals, and then confirm the judges!!!!
First should have had the vote immediatly after Reid called the President a loser.
"We have a bunch of panty waisted girly men running this farce"
Nah...girly men still have balls, small as they are. These guys are eunuchs.
Based on what I see, you are 100% correct BUMP!!
Senator Frist: I'll huff, and I'll puff, and I'll blow this house down!"
We've been hearing this for months on end, blah, blah blah
Just do already Senator Frist, and if you can't (for whatever reason) please move on.
How long have we been hearing "next week"? It is really getting monotonous and I am to the point I don't even read the articles anymore. They might as well start out by saying "Once upon a time" because they are trying to have us believe a fairy tale.
Todays plane scare was the fastest those guys moved since 911. Someone needs to light a rocket under all their arses.
If Frist doesn't "pull the trigger" and shoot these leftist bastards right between the eyes with EVERY JUDGE, I will be among the voters that stay home next election..
Better to have the Left take over and quickly anger the population to the point of expulsion - than to suffer the fate of the frog sitting in warm water -- slowly but constantly getting hotter..
I guess the GOP has earned the nickname - the "Stupid Party"..
They are also the pansy party...afraid of a fight.
Semper Fi
When it comes to political maneuvering, the republicans are playing checkers and the democrats are playing chess. When the dems had the majority in the Senate, they were able to quash Bush's nominations in committee. Recall how they got that majority--by bribing Jim Jeffords to leave the Republican party shortly after voters elected him (as a Republican.) And we're hesitating to use the nuclear option.
Here is a simple question: If (shudder) Hillary Clinton was president and a there was a dem majority in the Senate, and Republicans were thwarting every judical nomination by using the filibuster, what would the democrats do?
I'll make it easy--multiple choice.
a. Invoke the nuclear option faster than Monica can put on kneepads.
b. Commit Arkancide on recalcitrant republicans faster than you can say "Vince Foster."
c. Force the filibuster to be an actual filibuster, with long-winded text-readings that would make Teddy Kennedy and Sheets Byrd proud.
d. Attempt to compromise with the republicans so that a spirit of comity could remain in Washington.
Harry Reid does not respect Bill Frist or George Bush. He is offering to negotiate something with Frist that Frist has no power to do. He is telling Frist that he (Reid) is calling the shots on the President's nominations and that the ones he favors, for what ever reason, can go for a vote but that the ones he disfavors, apparently for partisan political reasons, must be rejected by Frist and the rest of the Republican majority... The threat to disrupt the senate looks more hollow every day... Now is the time to bring this issue to a head. Have the Bolton vote and don't give them time to try to shift the issue in the press back to the filibuster... There will never be a better time.
This could escalate to dog--and even double-dog dares.
I called our Senator, Rick "let me support Spector" and told his staff If there is any kind of a deal, even if little Ricky opposes it I will not vote for him. I agree let the other party take control and teach the RINO's a lesson.
ping
Yes, time to get on with it. I'm sick of all these yappers. That's the one and only thing I like about the Dems, they play hardball whether they are in power or not. There could be 80 Republican Senators and still someone like Hillary would have more balls and gall then all of them combined.
Life cycle of an Elephant: Life - Cycle
The life cycle of the elephant is remarkably similar to that of an average human being. They;
Suckle using the mouth, not trunk.
Are weaned on milk between two - four years. Although the elephant will naturally be attracted to it's mother other cows in the herd often take turns to look after the baby.
If the mother dies then the other cows (auntie's) look after the orphaned baby.
Cows can bear young at age 16
Begin work at 16
Are fully grown at 20 years old
Are in their working prime between 20-40
Start going bald around 30 years
Begin to slow down at 40
Live around 70 years
Are on light duties only when they reach 50
An elephant will be able to tell if a corpse is from the same herd. If so then the whole herd will avoid that area, apparently out of respect. This is so even when the bones are buried. The reason for this phenomena but may be attributed to their acute sense of smell and possible other unknown factors.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.