Roberts's performance in hearings leaves Democrats with 'dilemma'

International Herald Tribune ^ | 9/16/05 | Sheryl Gay Stolberg

[Libloather]

Roberts's performance in hearings leaves Democrats with 'dilemma'
By Sheryl Gay Stolberg
The New York Times
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2005

WASHINGTON U.S. Senate Democrats are deeply conflicted about how to vote on the nomination of Judge John Roberts Jr. to be the 17th chief justice of the United States, and appear divided about how, and whether, to use their vote to send a message to President George W. Bush as he selects a candidate to fill a second Supreme Court vacancy.

"That's a critical part of this conversation," Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Senate's No. 2 Democrat and a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Thursday, when asked if he hoped to send a message to Bush about the next nominee.

**SNIP**

Roberts' unflappable performance during three days of questioning has clearly put Democrats in a quandary. Some say a strong vote against his nomination could prod the White House into naming a centrist to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a crucial swing vote. Others say that supporting the Roberts nomination could make Democrats appear reasonable, giving them more credibility to oppose the next nominee.

Despite Durbin's remark, the Democratic leader, Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, said the vote on Roberts "shouldn't be message time."

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat from New York, whose vote will be among the most closely watched in the Senate because of her possible bid for the White House in 2008, agreed.

"I have found it is very difficult for Democrats to influence this White House on anything, and so I don't count on them paying attention to our legitimate concerns," Clinton said.

[Libloather]

(**sniff**) "I don't count on them paying attention to our legitimate concerns," Clinton said. (**sniffle**)

Like global warming?

In this handout photo, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) (L) and retired Gen. Wesley Clark smile as they're introduced as panel members to speak on 'Climate', one of the many forums taking place during the Clinton Global Initiative Summit, Friday, September 16, 2005 in New York City. The meetings, which run from September 15 through 17, is an initiative led by Clinton to address poverty, climate change and other worldwide issues and will draw political leaders and activists from all over the world. (AP Photo by Stephen Chernin/Clinton Global Initiative )

[msnimje]

Wesley Clark --- honored to be in the background. What a sap!

Wesley Clark is the FEMALE version Of Hillary ROTTEN Clinton

[EagleUSA]

In this handout photo, U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) (L) and retired Gen. Wesley Clark smile...
-----
As if the Hammer-And-Sickle could smile...

[Mister Baredog]

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton,

Trying out the throne?

PIAPS

[goldstategop]

The Democrats can't decide between being barking moonbats or being mainstream.

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

[Libloather]

How does this work? The Hildabeast sits as a panel member to speak on 'Climate', taking place during the Clinton Global Initiative Summit, yet wants cheaper gas so everyone can fill up as much as possible? (No one is really taking her seriously - are they?)

Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) waits her turn as other Democratic Senators speak about gas price gouging at a news conference held at a gas station near the Capitol in Washington September 14, 2005. Democrats want to give the president the authority to declare a national emergency and strengthen the hand of the Federal Trade Commission when fighting illegal price gouging that Democrats claim is hitting consumers hard at the pump. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

[537cant be wrong]

female version,

WOW........ that left a mark.
most excellent

[hombre_sincero]

Wesley Clark - the murderer of Serbia! Hillary will give him what he deserves.

[ncountylee]

Wesley Clark is to the military, what Joe Wilson is to Foggy Bottom. An embarrassment!

[Clintonfatigued]

Bush & Rove can put the DemocRATS in an identical delemma on the O'Conner vacancy if they play their cards right.

Bush needs to nominate Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan. She'll be able to get in with the same finesse and unflappability as Roberts.

[bray]

HilaryCare standing in front of a gas station must be a sure sign the prices are coming down!! What did she do in her 8 years??

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters

[AD from SpringBay]

Completely off topic - forgive please, but I've always wondered about the 9/10th of a penny at the end of gasoline prices. I'm sure it's a left over from history - but why do we still have it?

[T. P. Pole]

U.S. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) (L)

I didn't know that they started labeling liberals with an (L)...

[livius]

Never heard of her. Details? Thanks.

[peyton randolph]

Wesley Clark is the FEMALE version Of Hillary ROTTEN Clinton

Does that make HRC the MALE version, transgender version, or what? Wait a minute. I really don't want to know.

[digger48]

I didn't know that they started labeling liberals with an (L)...

(L)esbian

[WOSG]

Hillary voted against ANWR drilling and voted against offshore drilling.

When will she admit her role in higher gas prices?

[Libloather]

Bush needs to nominate Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura Corrigan. She'll be able to get in with the same finesse and unflappability as Roberts.

Bush Plans Meeting on O'Connor Replacement
AP ^ | 9/16/05
By DAVID ESPO, AP Special Correspondent

WASHINGTON - President Bush has invited key lawmakers to a White House meeting next week to begin consultations on a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, officials said Friday.

The meeting, to be held Wednesday, signals the White House is moving to find a successor to O'Connor as Judge John Roberts awaits confirmation as chief justice.

Bush invited Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., and Democratic leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., as well as Sen. Arlen Specter, the Pennsylvania Republican who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the panel's senior Democrat, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, saying they were not authorized to disclose the invitations.

The meeting would mirror a session Bush held with the same four lawmakers several weeks ago as he began consultations to fill the first Supreme Court vacancy in 11 years.

At the time, O'Connor had announced her retirement and Bush subsequently selected Roberts to fill her seat.

Roberts' nomination was pending in the Senate when Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died nearly two weeks ago. Bush quickly announced he wanted Roberts to succeed Rehnquist, leaving O'Connor on the bench until a replacement could be named, confirmed by the Senate and sworn in.

Roberts' confirmation is virtually assured, following confirmation hearings that ended on Thursday.

The meeting — and others likely to follow — allow the White House to say that Bush was consulting with the Senate before announcing his nominee. The administration has said the president and his aides reached out to most senators before the president settled on Roberts when he was originally nominated to succeed O'Connor.

Yet while consulting with senators, the White House has made the point that Bush did not intend to allow lawmakers to make his selection for him or to have a veto over the person he nominates.

Bush has been prodded to name either a woman or a minority to replace O'Connor, and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' name has been mentioned.

Specter, appearing on television last weekend, urged the president not to name the attorney general, who would be the first Hispanic on the high court.

As far as Roberts is concerned, the only real question left about his nomination is how many Democrats will vote for him to become the nation's 17th chief justice.

This week's grueling four-day Senate confirmation hearings only confirmed for most of the Senate's majority Republicans their contention that Bush's pick to succeed Rehnquist is an ideal choice.

Since Democrats don't plan to filibuster, they must decide if it's worth casting a symbolic vote against the 50-year-old Roberts, knowing they can't stop his confirmation and that Bush will soon choose another conservative to replace O'Connor, a swing vote on the court.

Reid has asked his Democratic caucus members not to make a decision before a closed-door meeting Tuesday. But Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., thinks about half of them ultimately will vote to confirm Roberts.

There are 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and independent Sen. Jim Jeffords of Vermont in the Senate, and Conrad told reporters, "I think he can get from 75 to 80 votes."

That would surprise conservatives, who say Democrats are too partisan on judicial picks to consider voting for Roberts. It would also disappoint liberals, who are hoping the Roberts vote can influence Bush's next pick.

Some of the largest liberal advocacy groups met with Reid on Thursday to push for a large vote against Roberts. With the president's job-approval rating at its lowest point because of Hurricane Katrina, dissatisfaction with the Iraq war and rising gas prices, some hope the president can't afford a filibuster fight with Democrats by nominating a hard-line conservative to replace O'Connor.

The last three Supreme Court nominees with significant opposition were Robert Bork, who was defeated 58-42 in 1987; Clarence Thomas, who was confirmed 52-48 in 1991; and Rehnquist, who was confirmed as a justice in a 68-26 vote in 1971, and as chief in a 65-33 vote in 1986.

No other Supreme Court nominee since 1970 got more than nine "no" votes from the 100-member Senate.

The first Roberts vote will be Thursday in the Judiciary Committee.

The panel's eight Democrats aren't talking about how they will vote. "I haven't made up my mind," Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Friday.

Democrats say Roberts didn't answer enough of their questions, and the White House should have released his paperwork from his time working in the solicitor general's office during the George H.W. Bush administration.

[popdonnelly]

Check this out: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050916/OPINION02/309160001/1093

I'm not sure who the fat kid with his finger up his nose is.