The Senate Democrats have elected to receive.
Posted on 10/11/2005 9:08:44 PM PDT by freedom4me
During the 11:00 p.m. (CST) newsbreak, Donna Fuducia reported that Karl Rove told James Dobson that 80% of the potential SCOTUS nominees on the President's list declined his offer because of they didn't want to undergo the grueling confirmation process. Perhaps this sheds new light on the reason why W chose Miers.
It is not a poor choice, it was a brilliant display of strategy by President Bush. As I have said in other posts: when the Gang of 14 Senators emerged, we had an unpredictable situation in the Senate. There was no assurance that the Republicans could overcome a filibuster. After the Roberts confirmation, the DemonRATs vowed that they would not let the next nominee have an easy confirmation. Translation: scorched earth war. In this political climate, the main bench of prospects would not have been confirmed; especially with the paper trail the left has predictably used to hang conservative candidates. You will remember Justice Clarence Thomas complaining that he was being hit with "a high-tech lynching." This is why President Bush was so wise to go stealth. The stealth tactic is a tool. It is a weapon with which we can win. You will also know that Presidents Nixon and Bush (senior) used stealth nominees for the bench--for the same reason as W is doing now. It is successful strategy. Just look at John Roberts.
We all need to take a step back for a moment, and take a few deep breaths, stand up, put our hands on our hearts, and say the following words: "Miss Miers is a brilliant expert in the law and her nomination by President Bush was a brilliant stroke of genius." There. I hope we are all healed.
The stealth tactic is also a double-edged sword. It has an advantage for the nominee who wants to concentrate on an offense rather than a defense. However, those who want to defend her have little ammunition. Until Miss Miers comes forth and proves with what she says in the confirmation hearings, that she has the intellectual clout to be a good supreme court justice, we will have limited information. That is the flaw in the strategy that puts forth a stealth nominee. If we can think of the stealth strategy as a weapon for the other side to be sliced and diced and, at the same time, avoid having our side catch a blade, we will be successful.
This is something that demands good swordsmanship.
"A+Bert will be crushed you didn't mention him!"
Thanks for the memories. One of my favorites was Fishhog.
No, he's not a politician.
Nope. Send them home for Turkey day, less Pork on the side and go to it.
This isn't the 1950's and President Bush wouldn't be able to get away with a access appointment and you know it
Right here in New York, as a matter of fact.
Wrong Yell. It's Aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggghhhhhh!
This idea that we have strong conservative justices that have waited years willing to go through hearings to get an circuit court appointment but that the same judges wouldn't be willing to go through one for a Supreme Court job is not believable.
So is sexism.
I'm just curious why Mrs. Bush is sharply criticized for charging "sexism", but the brain trust can abandon the President to avoid embarrassment about "cronyism" and nobody says a peep.
They pretty much let the President take this one straight up the ism and are still hiding out in email. Cowards.
I may as well mention how they were planting pro op-ed stories for Roberts, which makes me suspicious now as to whether they are working the reverse angle about Miers.
To say the very least, the President should shun them now for their betrayal, and for airing their dirty laundry with Newsweek.
A few posters on this thread say it "isn't possible."
But the GOP isn't even using it as a threat. Nor is it using the nuclear option as a threat. Like it said it would.
GOP leaders, sensing the Democrats' bind, expressed confidence yesterday that the Senate will confirm Bush's eventual nominee, no matter how ideologically rigid. "I think there is every expectation, every reason to believe that there will be no successful filibuster," Majority Whip Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on "Fox News Sunday."Under the "Gang of 14" accord, the seven Republican signers agreed to deny Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) the votes he needed to carry out his threat to bar judicial filibusters by changing Senate rules. The seven are implicitly released from the deal if the Democratic signers renege on their end. Yesterday, key players suggested the seven Democrats will automatically be in default if they contend a nominee's ideological views constitute "extraordinary circumstances" that would justify a filibuster.
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), one of the 14 signers, noted that the accord allowed the confirmation of three Bush appellate court nominees so conservative that Democrats had successfully filibustered them for years: Janice Rogers Brown, William H. Pryor Jr. and Priscilla R. Owen. Because Democrats accepted them under the deal, Graham said on the Fox program, it is clear that ideological differences will not justify a filibuster of a Supreme Court nominee.
"Based on what we've done in the past with Brown, Pryor and Owen," Graham said, "ideological attacks are not an 'extraordinary circumstance.' To me, it would have to be a character problem, an ethics problem, some allegation about the qualifications of the person, not an ideological bent."
Sen. Ben Nelson (Neb.), a leader of the seven Democratic signers, largely concurred. Nelson "would agree that ideology is not an 'extraordinary circumstance' unless you get to the extreme of either side," his spokesman, David DiMartino, said in an interview.
Pact May Hinder Efforts to Block High Court Nominee
By Charles Babington and Susan Schmidt
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, July 4, 2005; Page A01
Good idea.
For Dean.
Eagle up!
You may infer what you wish - it's, for the time being, a theoretically-free country.
What the heck was he thinking?
OK, let me throw this question back at you. Knowing what we know now, what would you call it if Janice Rogers Brown had been picked?
And it bugs me to no end thatteh President and conservative GOP don't take this battle on.
What do we get? "stealth conservatism"
Name the ones who agreed to be trashed by the likes of you, please.
The Senate Democrats have elected to receive.
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