Posted on 07/12/2005 4:44:05 PM PDT by CHARLITE
The former Senate Majority Leader, now a noted peacemaker, may be tapped to help lead the party's strategy on a new high court nominee
The battle on Capitol Hill over filling one, possibly two, U.S. Supreme Court vacancies is heating up fast. Faced with a high-powered lineup of GOP tacticians and advisers, Senate Democrats are now working to assemble their own team.
One key person under consideration to lead the effort, several Democratic sources tell BusinessWeek Online, is former Democratic Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine, chairman of the board at Walt Disney (DIS ) and chairman of law firm DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary. He has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. Mitchell also serves on Staples' (SPLS ) board of directors.
Mitchell is traveling and was unavailable for comment for this story, a spokesperson said. Through an aide, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), who is coordinating Democratic efforts, declined to comment.
FIERCELY PARTISAN, TOO. Mitchell's recent history makes him an interesting choice, given the stakes. Since he left the Senate in 1995, Mitchell has developed a role as a global player in conflict resolution. In the late 1990s he led the negotiations that ultimately resulted in a historic peace accord in Northern Ireland. He also served as chairman of an international fact-finding panel on ending violence in the Middle East. And more recently, he shepherded efforts to win board support for Rober Iger to succeed Michael Eisner as CEO of Disney in a contentious corporate battle.
Still, as Senate Democratic Leader during the '80s and early '90s, Mitchell was a fiercely partisan warrior who often prevailed in legislative battles with a GOP White House led by President Bush's father, George H.W. Bush.
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
"Peacemaker" my foot! George Mitchell was one of the most partisan majority leaders the Democrats have ever had.
'Fat lot of good that did!
This may be the only sane move the dems have made in the last several years. IMO, George Mitchell is above slanderous and gutter-like politics. I may be wrong, but I doubt he'll want to participate in an ugly blood bath.
Bush shoots -- nothing but net!
Or is Mitchell in on the cunning ploy? Maybe he's already agreed to "amen" any democratic obstruction as righteous.
A number of years ago, I did an amateur stand-up comedy routine...basically I took all the events of the past year and say, "suppose one year ago you were to predict that..."
I had some lines about O.J. Simpson, Carville/Matalin, etc.
For the most part I fell flat on my face.
Some lines that got a few chuckles were:
Senator George Mitchell will be considered for a seat on the Supreme Court...he'll remove his name from consideration, because the vacancy isn't good enough.
He'll want Chief Justice.
He'll pursue the office of the Commissioner of Baseball.
He won't get that job either.
===
In view of these facts, this increases the possibility of the non-filibuster filibuster. If Mitchell could keep the seat open until '09, he might have a chance...hmmm, maybe not, he'd be 75...
You are wrong- Mitchell is a two-faced motherfu**er who puts on a kind, avuncular face to the press and, behind the scenes, is a dirty bast**d. I get ill whenever the MSM trots him out.
Well Mitchell at present is not elected to any office and represents no one but himself. So, in effect, he has no more authority than say--me.
But that's as high powered as the Rats get these days.
That is why we must begin work on the dem Senators in red states who are up for election in 2006. They MUST know that thier demeanor on this issue will weigh very heavily. In fact, the Republicans who are up for election in 2006 should also be warned.
But, look out for Sphincter and his left wing Judiciary Committee staff. Look also for the first dem attack to be the issue of pre-nomination "advice" with the Senate. To the dems, if W doesn't nominate some one they suggest, he has adequately discussed the issue to meet his consitutional obligation.
ROTFLMAO!!!!!
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