Text of Filibuster Deal

Received via e-mail | Monday, May 23, 2005 | Rats and Rinos

[kristinn]

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING ON JUDICIAL NOMINATIONS

 

We respect the diligent, conscientious efforts, to date, rendered to the Senate by Majority Leader Frist and Democratic Leader Reid. This memorandum confirms an understanding among the signatories, based upon mutual trust and confidence, related to pending and future judicial nominations in the 109th Congress.

 

This memorandum is in two parts. Part I relates to the currently pending judicial nominees; Part II relates to subsequent individual nominations to be made by the President and to be acted upon by the Senate’s Judiciary Committee.

 

We have agreed to the following:

 

Part I:  Commitments on Pending Judicial Nominations

 

A.        Votes for Certain Nominees. We will vote to invoke cloture on the following judicial nominees: Janice Rogers Brown (D.C. Circuit), William Pryor (11th Circuit), and Priscilla Owen (5th Circuit).

 

B.        Status of Other Nominees. Signatories make no commitment to vote for or against cloture on the following judicial nominees: William Myers (9th Circuit) and Henry Saad (6th Circuit).

 

Part II:  Commitments for Future Nominations

 

A.        Future Nominations. Signatories will exercise their responsibilities under the Advice and Consent Clause of the United States Constitution in good faith. Nominees should only be filibustered under extraordinary circumstances, and each signatory must use his or her own discretion and judgment in determining whether such circumstances exist.

 

B.        Rules Changes. In light of the spirit and continuing commitments made in this agreement, we commit to oppose the rules changes in the 109th Congress, which we understand to be any amendment to or interpretation of the Rules of the Senate that would force a vote on a judicial nomination by means other than unanimous consent or Rule XXII.

 

We believe that, under Article II, Section 2, of the United States Constitution, the word “Advice” speaks to consultation between the Senate and the President with regard to the use of the President’s power to make nominations. We encourage the Executive branch of government to consult with members of the Senate, both Democratic and Republican, prior to submitting a judicial nomination to the Senate for consideration.

 

Such a return to the early practices of our government may well serve to reduce the rancor that unfortunately accompanies the advice and consent process in the Senate.

 

We firmly believe this agreement is consistent with the traditions of the United States Senate that we as Senators seek to uphold.

[oldbill]

The smart thing to do response is to turn the Senate rules back on the "Republican" turncoats by having at least 41 of the OTHER 48 Republican Senators to vote AGAINST cloture, thus negating the deal and returning everything back to square one.

This will temporarily delay the Owens Brown Pryor votes, but it will also make the "Gang of 14" impotent. Then the Other 48 can start working on bottling up in committee evry bill of the seven turncoats and zeroing out every dollar for their states.

If the 48 non turncoat Republicans don't have the guts to do this, they don't deserve to be in power. It's a sure bet the Dems would have enforced discipline if they were in charge.

[af_vet_1981]

Nope. Listen to Frist's chat from the floor. Keep a barf bag handy, though.

Did he sign the deal ?

I understand that 7 RINOs betrayed their country tonight and will allow the Democrats to continue to filibuster the President's judicial nominees if they choose to and these Seven Traitors will not vote to change the rule. Thus Frist only has 48 votes and loses. They must be punished and driven from the Senate.

[YaYa123]

I'm weeping.

But let's give this a few days. Maybe it won't seem like such a cave on reflection.

If President Bush can get 2 Supreme Court nominations through without filibusters, then this will be a good agreement.

If Democrats claim every one of his future judicial nominations fall under the "extraordinary circumstances" exception, so they can continue to filibuster, will the McCain, Warner gang of 6 call for the nuclear option themselves? They allowed the democrats such a gaping loophole, it's hard to imagine them doing much when the democrats use it.


LINDSEY GRAHAM JUST TOLD CHRIS MATTHEWS THAT ALL 5 OF BUSH'S CURRENT NOMINEES WILL GET AN UP OR DOWN VOTE, (NOT JUST OWENS, BROWN, AND PRYOR)

[Kath]

Frist did not fold. 7 RINO senators took it out of his control.

[grids]

The fact remains the Democrats wanted this deal, they needed this deal and they made this deal because they knew the status-quo was untenable. They would have lost a constitutional option vote.

You have it completely backwards. If the Demos would have lost a vote on the constitutional option, what incentive did the Republicans have for giving it to them? The Repubs didn't have to, unless there were a batch of spineless RINOs to give it to them. Wait, that's just what happened. Hence, VICTORY for the Dems, and the Repubs snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again...

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>So you're telling me its all over?

The 'Pubbies ability to exercise the constitutional option is.

[Angelwood]

I'm from Cincinnati and I'm embarrassed by the Ohio Senators. I also have to deal with the RINO John Warner in Virginia as well. The Republicans have caved again and given in to the Democrats -- pledging to not vote for the Rules change for the duration of the 109th Congress gives the minority party all the leverage they need to continue on as they have been doing all along.

[America's Resolve]

If those 14 Senators make the agreement that they've made, there's not thing one that Frist (or Reid) can do about it.

This is nonsensical. If this was the case, Frist wouldn't be majority leader anyways because they'd have 14 senators going off reservation for every stinkin budget deal, every SS deal, every resolution ever created.

Frist and the leadership HAVE to approve of any such deals or they aren't the leadership, just another group of senators that make deals.

[SunshinesStormySummerSon]

Then he clearly hasn't heard what Reid was saying about Meyers while Graham was speaking to Fox.

[Deo et Patria]

The compromise resulted in the EXACT SAME THING that a vote on the "constitutional option" would have forced. We got the names, in writing, of the turncoats who were unwilling to stand with Frist and the GOP, and they will be targeted in their next elections:

McCain
DeWine
Snowe
Warner
Graham
Collins
Chafee

[tgslTakoma]

The Majority Leader does not have to accept this.

But he did.

RINOS

[SoCar]

I meant to say if "what is wrong with you" offends you so much you must be very delicate!

[steenkeenbadges]

Captains and the Kings.

[BobL]

"Reid announced that Meyers would be filibustered."

...and now we get to see the extent of our sellout.

[Darkwolf]

I'm not delicate, I just think it's funny that you are so obviously ignorant of the workings of the senate that you instantly start with the foolish rhetoric to disguise your obvious stupidity. Hope you're not too delicate for the truth.

[goldstategop]

This memorandum binds only this Senate - the 109th. If the Democrats play their silly games again in an election year, all bets are off. The Senate is a different institution from the House. A group of Senators can hold considerable power. Of course, the constitutional option's off the table, but so is the filibuster.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[RightMike]

Exactly. Frist is the minority leader now.

[Kath]

So what if he doesn't accept it. The RINO's will vote against the nuclear option. End of story.

[af_vet_1981]

The "compromise" is a cave by the Democrats.

Seven RINO traitors have promised not to change the rules in the 109th Congress.

[Hebrews 11:6]

You haven't called me any names yet, but I've seen you do it twice already on this thread. Got one for me?