Posted on 05/17/2005 7:11:09 AM PDT by CWW
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On the eve of a high-stakes showdown, a key lawmaker said on Tuesday it was unclear if a group of bipartisan U.S. senators could strike a deal on President Bush's contested judicial nominees.
"It's hard to say. There's a lot of cross-pressures. There's a lot of activity on both extremes of the political spectrum," Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told CNN. "We'll know more today."
The Senate is to begin what's expected to be several days of debate on Wednesday on two of the seven appeals court candidates blocked by Democrats during the last Congress and then renominated by Bush after he won re-election in November.
Republicans have vowed that if Democrats again stop the nominees with procedural hurdles known as filibusters, they will move to ban such tactics on appeals court as well as U.S. Supreme Court nominees.
Republican leaders say they will have the 51 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to abolish such filibusters. But Democrats argue it is too close to call.
Efforts to find common ground persisted despite a breakdown in talks on Monday between Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat.
McCain and Sen. Ben Nelson, a Nebraska Democrat, are leading an effort to attract a half dozen largely moderate senators from each party to a last ditch-compromise.
Their proposal would clear the way for votes on some of Bush's stalled judicial nominees while blocking others.
Under the proposal, Republicans would promise not to eliminate judicial filibusters through the end of next year, and Democrats would vow not to use such tactics against any circuit court or Supreme Court nominee except in "extreme circumstances."
Republicans hold 55 of 100 Senate seats. A simple majority is needed to confirm a nominee, but 60 votes are required to end a filibuster.
The aim of Nelson and McCain has been to provide six Democratic votes to clear the way for confirmation votes on some of the disputed nominees and six Republican votes to preserve the judicial filibuster. Nelson was confident he had enough Democrats on board, but was still working to attract a total of six Republicans, an aide said.
Talks between Frist and Reid ended following months of futile efforts to find common ground.
"The negotiations are over," Reid said. "I've tried to compromise (but) they want all or nothing, and I can't do that."
Frist said in a statement, "Republicans believe in the regular order of fair up and down votes and letting the Senate decide yes or no on judicial confirmations free from procedural gimmicks like the filibuster."
technically, you are correct
Breakinh?
Smokinh.
No, not a correction. I just think "scarmable" is more pathetic, and thus funnier.
SCARMABLE THE FIGHTERS, BANDITS INCOMINH!
I love it when McCain fails.
GOOD!!!!!!
lol!
But this is so very hugh!
I'm certainly not! And Reid saying "negotiations are over" --- yer darned tootin' --- it's about time the majority did an 'all or nothing'!
I saw it last night, thought it was intentional. I still don't like it. People will think we are "becoming a nation of dumbies".
Strongest is Snowe. Collins is a maybe. Others who have expressed a wish that it hadn't come to this are not a clear that they will vote against it. Even Frist says he wishes it hadn't come to this.
;-)
Well, clearly you do get it. LOL. I can respect liking it or not liking it, I was just offering an explanation.
McCain's getting on my last nerve.
Pray for W and Our Troops
As I understand it, there must be an ongoing filibuster for the nuclear option to be exercised. It may be that a cloture vote must take care first but don't hold me to that. In any case, the Dems will not allow a vote if they are going to lose. So, since the Pubbies appear to have the upper hand the Dems will either just stop filibustering for the moment or will settle for a deal that is highly favorable to the Republicans.
Snowe, OK. Collins is a maybe. Arlen wouldn't dare, would he?
Those are my thoughts. The only reason that Frist may be waiting is so that after the vote, Frist can say, "I gave the Democrats every chance to come up with a compromise so we wouldn't have to change the filibuster rule". Bush did the same thing with Saddam, giving Saddam every chance to avoid the Iraq war.
In the long run I don't think anyone is going care about whether Frist gave the Demos a chance to come up with compromise. Once the filibuster rule is amended it will be war between the Demos and Repubs in the Senate.
See my prior post -- It's my best televangelist voice. It's a southern thing.
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