Posted on 05/23/2005 5:23:07 PM PDT by 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.
Precisely. And, in return, the Democrats have won the right to filibuster all subsequent judicial nominees. Note that the GOP senators signed away the ability to effect a rules change for the balance of this Congress.
Net result: short-term win for the Democrats (dodging the Owens and Brown bullet)...and a long-term loss for the GOP.
Absolutely tragic. The President should be appalled.
I am as mad as a hornet about this too. I will not, however, through the baby (Republicans) out with the bath water (Warner,McCain, Snowe, Collins, Graham, Wimp from RI, and whoever the hell the 7th jerk is). We must work hard to retain and purge the party.
"Frist folds.
No way he gets my vote, for anything, ever."
Remember, Frist is not a signatory to this deal. Only those 14 Senators who signed this are bound to it. This really does not change much. This means these 14 will vote for cloture only IF and when the cloture vote is called. Other Senators can vote for ar against cloture.
Watch your mouth.
If you think Frist couldn't have trashcanned this and gone forward with the nuclear option, you know zero about the workings of the senate. Educate yourself before you start with the rudeness.
This is nearly a complete and total sellout. These RINO's make me sick.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
You can say this is not Frist's fault, yet it seems to me that Trent Lott could hold all of the Republicans and get six Democrats, too.
Graham started folding some time ago, which I have to admit surprised me. Maybe it shouldn't have.
Frist is ineffective and should be removed from any leadership position.
Did you hear Frist from the floor? Sounded like a pretty happy man to me.
Amen. I'm almost as angry with the Frist-bashers on FR as I am with the seven turncoat RINOs that stabbed us in the back. Talk about missing the whole point! Frist has been betrayed, as have we all. We need to stand with Frist and target the RINOs, to purge this party of the scum that would water it down to meaningless platitudes.
Nope. Listen to Frist's chat from the floor. Keep a barf bag handy, though.
This is a bit different than what McCain announced.
This is worse than what was presented at the press conference.
DeWine has lost my vote in 2006.
This is a victory for Reid. A VICTORY.
"The Majority Leader does not have to accept this."
But he will. Damned RINO!
Frist did not have to accept this.
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