Posted on 09/08/2005 4:43:05 PM PDT by Leroy S. Mort
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Bush should consult with senators before making his choice to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Democratic leaders said Thursday.
Meanwhile, first lady Laura Bush is elbowing her husband once again to nominate a woman and others are pushing for a Hispanic.
The White House is working on finding a replacement for O'Connor, one of the swing votes on the Supreme Court. It took the Bush administration 18 days to make its initial choice after O'Connor announced her retirement.
Bush initially nominated federal appellate judge John Roberts to succeed O'Connor, but on Monday nominated him to succeed Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who died Saturday. Roberts, who will make his last courtesy visits to senators on Friday, will begin his confirmation hearing on Monday.
``We call on you to engage in meaningful consultation with us to identify a candidate for this crucial position who will unite the country, not divide it,'' said Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada and other Democrats in a letter to the White House.
Mrs. Bush, in an interview Thursday with American Urban Radio Networks, said she didn't think the president would announce his nominee for the second vacancy until after the Roberts confirmation process.
``I think the president is going to wait until John Roberts is confirmed before he nominates the next person,'' said Mrs. Bush, who was rooting for a female nominee when Bush nominated Roberts. ``As a woman myself, I hope it will be a woman.''
Democrats want Bush to look for a consensus nominee like O'Connor.
``I hope the next nominee selected meets the high standards set by Justice O'Connor, reveres and treasures the freedoms on which our nation was built, and can bring the nation together as she has done often,'' said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., in a separate letter to the White House.
The Hispanic National Bar Association is strongly urging the president to nominate a Hispanic.
``The time in our country's history has come where our Supreme Court needs to better reflect the diversity of America,'' said Alan Varela, president of the Hispanic Bar. ``President Bush bypassed the estimated 41.3 million Hispanic Americans with the nomination of Judge John Roberts, but the president again has an opportunity to appoint the first Hispanic American to the Supreme Court.''
Dubya should tell all the DUmmycrat leaders to let Teddy Kennedy take them for a ride to Chappaquidick to talk it over and then let him know what they come up with as their input.
Does anyone really believe the Democrats would have consulted the Republicans were the position reversed?
This is the reason Ambassador Bolton's recess appointment was so important: The Dems know thay can't drag this out 'til they get who they want - they're afraid the President will simply do it again during the Christmas break.
They may as well face facts: the SCOTUS WILL become a strict constructionist court during the next decade or so.
You or I would do that, but Bush won't because he is not a cruel man. If he nominated Estrada, Ted Kennedy would have a stroke, they would be scaping Nancy Pelosi off ceiling in the Rotunda, and half the 'rat Senate caucus would be in straightjackets in St. Elizabeth's.
We might regard all this as a side benefit, but Bush wouldn't. No ... Estrada would just be too cruel.
...and I want a pony.
I think that would cover everything.
It's called an up or down vote. The Dems are in the minority party - they better get used to it.
My reply would be that if the Dems want input on Supreme Court nomination, they need to win a Presidential election and take control of the Senate.
Ha,ha...the dem/lib/lefties would self destruct. Hmmmmm, maybe that's a great idea after all. :)
Rewind and Play! What galoots they are.
Democrats want Bush to look for a liberal Democrat.
They need to talk to Barney Frank. He has their input.
No, no, no, no, no. Give these crackpots an inch and they'll take a mile.
Estrada would trigger another filibuster and I don't think he could be persuaded to step into the meatgrinder again. Brown would be very interesting though. She is very mild mannered and soft spoken which belies her solid conservatism. I don't think the dems are up to trying to bloody up a black woman who will just happen to come off looking like Mother Teresa on television. I'd love to see Kennedy and Schumer try though. Heck, I'd pay good money to see it. Leahey better be wearing his depends, in case JRB causes him to have a moist moment.
Next?
Tough.
"The Dimms are so predictable---they're actually starting to bore me."
You know, I was going to go off on a tangent about how I didn't think I could feel MORE contempt for Dems after this past week, but I think you nailed it.
I'm going to go the "they bore me" route too, and save myself a future stroke, LOL! Thanks! :)
I have the answer--nominate the hildebeast to the court. The dims/socialists could not oppose her skakiness and it would prevent her from running for president. OOPS-I FORGOT--she wants to be queen of the world.
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