Posted on 05/12/2005 9:26:44 PM PDT by FairOpinion
WASHINGTON - Irritated by Democratic chiding, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist on Thursday defended the "fairness and principle" of pressing a confrontation over judicial filibusters.
During an hourlong exchange, Senate dean Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., told Frist, "Don't leave this as your legacy." That was a reference to a Republican plan to eliminate minority Democrats' ability to block President Bush's judicial choices with just 41 votes in the 100-member Senate.
"You have a shirttail full of nominees, and you're going to wreck Senate tradition," Byrd said.
Annoyed, Frist pointed out that Byrd had promised to support holding confirmation votes.
"Didn't you also say as the other part of that statement to the president of the United States, being critical of the potential legacy I might have to leave in order to stand up for fairness and principle, didn't you also say you would give all of these nominees up-or-down votes?" asked Frist, who is expected to leave the Senate in 2006.
"I don't remember what I said," Byrd replied, "a few or all or three or four, I don't remember."
Bush has repeatedly called for yes-or-no votes requiring a simple majority of 51 on his choices to fill appeals court vacancies instead of making them first garner 60 votes.
Frist has been looking for two years at doing away with the 60-vote requirement to cut off debate in what members of both parties call "the nuclear option." Democrats have promised to retaliate by thwarting Bush's legislative agenda.
"Don't travel that path because the leader of his party may some day be executed on the same gallows," Byrd said.
Republicans have argued that the Constitution requires confirmation votes, though Frist conceded Thursday there's no language in the document that specifies that.
"But when you have a nominee that comes over, all you can do is shine the light, you examine him, unlimited debate," Frist said. "And then to give advice and consent — which is in that Constitution — how do you do it? Vote yes, no. Confirm, reject."
Byrd noted that the Senate has rejected dozens of nominees over the years by simply never voting on them. "Now to give consent, we may vote. But to deny consent doesn't require a vote," he said.
The West Virginia senator kept talking, but Frist eventually walked out of the chamber, leaving Byrd surprised. "Where's my adversary?" he asked.
The tense debate may be only a precursor of the battle next week, when Frist is expected to turn to the first of the White House's blocked nominees.
Democrats blocked 10 of Bush's first-term nominees through filibuster threats and have threatened to do the same to seven of them Bush renominated after winning re-election in November.
Frist has threatened to disallow future filibusters and force a confirmation vote on former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor, Idaho lawyer William Myers, Texas judge Priscilla Owen, California judge Janice Rogers Brown and other nominees Democrats oppose.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada has been offering Frist deals on less controversial nominees to try to avoid the showdown.
Reid on Thursday promised that Democrats would not block confirmation votes on Michigan nominees Richard Griffin, David McKeague and Susan Neilson to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals if Frist didn't force a showdown. He made the same offer on former Senate lawyer Thomas Griffith, who wants a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
"Do you want to confirm judges or do you want to provoke a fight?" Reid said.
Democrats have blocked the Michigan nominees' approval because of the objections of Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan, who were upset because President Clinton's nominees to that court were never given a confirmation hearing by the Republican-controlled Senate.
Levin and Stabenow said they hoped that withdrawing their objection to most of Bush's Michigan nominees would help resolve the filibuster impasse.
Reid also said Democrats would likely filibuster a fourth Michigan nominee, Henry Saad. "All you need to do is have a member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI and I think you would all agree that there's a problem there," Reid told the Senate.
Reid did not say what was in the report, and he was criticized by conservatives for mentioning it. "With his unsubstantiated charges, Senator Reid unfairly and irresponsibly defames Judge Saad," said Jeffrey Mazzella, president of the Center For Individual Freedom.
The Judiciary Committee sent Pryor's nomination to the full Senate on Thursday, on a 10-8 vote, with all Republicans supporting and all Democrats opposing him.
Pryor, the former Alabama attorney general, holds a temporary seat on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta because Bush last year circumvented the Senate and placed him on the court while lawmakers were out of town. That term expires at the end of the year.
___
On the Net:
Senate Judiciary Committee: http://judiciary.senate.gov
An unfortunate choice of words from this individual.
Byrd was shaking in his sheet.
I think that we should send 51, 2 x 4's approx 2 ft long. The Republicans can tie them to their backs so they have a Spine.
Put in the Judges!!! Work together!! Where is the TEAMWORK!! Why is the MINORITY controlling the MOJORITY!!
The Republicans have the chance they have always dreamed of and they are blowing it big time!!
OH, ha-ha it was funny---but seriesly, he does more than shake on this speech--watch it if you can...it is a hoot.
When Frist calls him on what he said to President Bush, you can just see/hear him lose it---and I thought he had ALREADY lost it!
and yet people still vote for looney byrd.
Perhaps the citizens need to see video tape of Byrd looney talk all day and all night.
Amnesia from wearing the hood too tight?
This is better than the comedy Hollywood puts out. Anyone who hasn't seen it, turn to C-Span. It's too good to pass up what happened on the senate floor today. Frist was good.
Different thread, but Coleman's sparring with Galloway also has me in a really good mood. I like Reps with Spine.
This is illegal, or at least against Senate rules. Only the Senators from the nominees home state may have access to his FBI record.
How about an official senat laugh tract for the audio of all Byrds speeches.
At least he didn't say "lynched". ;-)
Barack Obama is going to West Virginia to campaign FOR ole KKK Byrd---
Deep Throat burps.
And afterwards..."is my nose bleedin'"
I am watching Byrd, but I don't know how much longer I can take this.
True. He seems to be a Wizard with words.
Some of Byrd's legacy:
Robert C. Byrd Drive, from Beckley to Sophia (Byrd's hometown)
Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center of West Virginia Robert C. Byrd Cancer Research Center
Robert C. Byrd Technology Center at Alderson-Broaddus College
Robert C. Byrd Hardwood Technologies Center, near Princeton
Robert C. Byrd Bridge between Huntington and Chesapeake, Ohio
Robert C. Byrd addition to the lodge at Oglebay Park, Wheeling
Robert C. Byrd Community Center, Pine Grove
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarships
Robert C. Byrd Expressway, U.S. 52 near Weirton
Robert C. Byrd Institute in Charleston
Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing
Robert C. Byrd Visitor Center at Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
Robert C. Byrd Federal Courthouse
Robert C. Byrd Academic and Technology Center
Robert C. Byrd United Technical Center
Robert C. Byrd Federal Building
Robert C. Byrd Hilltop Office Complex
Robert C. Byrd Library and Robert C. Byrd Learning Resource Center
Robert C. Byrd Rural Health Center
Robert C. Byrd Clinical Addition to the veteran's hospital in Huntington
Robert C. Byrd Industrial Park, Hardy County
Robert C. Byrd Scholastic Recognition Award
Robert C. Byrd Community Center in the naval station, Sugar Grove
Famous industrialists and philanthropists have worked a lifetime and bequeathed millions of dollars to erect a comparable legacy. It only cost Kleagle Byrd hundreds of millions of your dollars to erect these monuments to his own avarice and conceit. Here is the rest of the list of his governmental greed.
NOW you know why Frist walked out! Stay with it though, because he hasn't had his meltdown yet!! you just wait!
"Reid went overboard again by pointing to an FBI file of one of the judges. That is way out of bounds and he should be rebuked for it."
I'm from Nevada, I know the local politics. Reid has eventual corruption problems. He's half as smart as Dashle, twice as nasty and will be one quarter as effective.
So, for those moaning about Reid, I suggest you buy some popcorn and watch the show as Pinko repeatedly pulls the pin on verbal grenades, then forgets to throw these little bombshells away.
Oooooooh ;-)
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.