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G.O.P. Reaches to Other Party on Court Pick (Alito Visits Gang of 7)
New York Times ^

Posted on 11/01/2005 11:25:20 PM PST by indianrightwinger

G.O.P. Reaches to Other Party on Court Pick

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CARL HULSE Published: November 2, 2005

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 - Facing deep Democratic skepticism over the choice of Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. for the Supreme Court, the Bush administration turned quickly on Tuesday to moderate Democrats who could be crucial to the confirmation as the two sides braced for a polarizing fight over Judge Alito's legal views.

The White House hurried Judge Alito into a get-acquainted session with Senator Tim Johnson, a Democrat who represents the solidly Republican state of South Dakota, even before the judge met with senior Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, who will first consider the nomination.

On Wednesday, the judge is scheduled to meet with Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, a moderate Democrat who helped engineer a Senate pact to break a stalemate this year over judicial nominations, and on Thursday with Senator Mark Pryor of Arkansas, another moderate Democrat who signed the pact.

None of the three sit on the Judiciary Committee.

"I think it would be natural to try to reach out to people who hadn't yet taken a position or might give some consideration," said former Senator Daniel R. Coats, Republican of Indiana, whom the White House has enlisted to guide Judge Alito though the Senate.

The unconventional scheduling of Senate meetings is one sign of the importance of the nomination. If confirmed, Judge Alito would succeed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the swing vote on the court for abortion rights and other issues, and his judicial record strongly indicates that he leans toward the conservative half of the court.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; alito; bush; gangof7; scotus; senate; supremecourt; whitehouse
Two other moderate Republicans in the group, Senator Olympia J. Snowe and Senator Susan Collins, both of Maine, said they were concerned about some of Judge Alito's opinions supporting curbs on abortion rights. "Obviously, it does raise a concern," Ms. Snowe said.
The silly Maine RINOs hit again. Who elects these people? :-))
1 posted on 11/01/2005 11:25:21 PM PST by indianrightwinger
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To: indianrightwinger

Alito wins confirmation, with Chafee, Collins and Snowe voting no, and Ben Nelson, Tim Johnson and possible Pryor voting yes.


2 posted on 11/01/2005 11:26:40 PM PST by Clemenza (In League with the Freemasons, The Bilderbergers, and the Learned Elders of Zion)
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To: Clemenza

The three RINOs can probably get away with it. They did not get a chance to vote for Ginburg. So, their feet cannot be held to real fire for voting against Alito.


3 posted on 11/01/2005 11:32:47 PM PST by indianrightwinger
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To: indianrightwinger

Repubs don't need Collins, Snowe or Chafee. Most likely Snowe will vote with the majority along with 5-7 dems. Alito is a lock. We can only hope that the dems will be stupid enough to filibuster so the repubs can go nuclear. With Gaham and DeWine on record of supporting the nuclear option, it will pass. Then the repubs can start approving some of the appellate court nominees who have been stacking up with a simple majority. The dems won't be able to block good nominees like Estrada or Pickering.


4 posted on 11/01/2005 11:33:48 PM PST by double_down
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To: indianrightwinger

RINOS simply are a waste of time, money and efforts to elect. Period.


5 posted on 11/01/2005 11:35:27 PM PST by Whitewasher (Would u like America to be a goat nation in the millennium to come? Keep pushing the "Roadmap" bull!)
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To: indianrightwinger

Pryor and Johnson are rabid partisans they have voted in lockstep with Schumer on every fillabuster.

The only dem that hasn't gone along with the fillabuster is Nelson.


6 posted on 11/01/2005 11:46:44 PM PST by johnmecainrino
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To: everyone

Smart. Talk to the "centrists" ASAP. Playing mother-may-I
with Reid and the other rabid Rats is pointless.

Alito is a great nominee. If he doesn't make it, we will have the RINOs to blame. Alito himself will do just fine.


7 posted on 11/01/2005 11:50:04 PM PST by California Patriot
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To: johnmecainrino
Johnson sounded very reasonable today after he met with Alito. He seemed favorably disposed towards him.
8 posted on 11/02/2005 12:12:56 AM PST by msnimje ("People for the American Way have issued a Fatwah against Alito" --- John Cornyn)
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To: indianrightwinger
The silly Maine RINOs hit again. Who elects these people?

Slutty, ugly women who hit the bars on the weekend, get knocked up by aging overweight truck drivers and then head to Planned Parenthood for a "routine personal-health procedure."

9 posted on 11/02/2005 12:16:37 AM PST by billclintonwillrotinhell
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To: msnimje

Unless Harry Reid says jump. Johnson and all the other dems except for Ben Nelson always say how high.

For example after the gang of 14 deal Reid went to the dem caucus to see if they would block federal appeals court nominee Brett Kavanaugh and all of them except Nelson said yes King Harry.


10 posted on 11/02/2005 12:19:27 AM PST by johnmecainrino
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To: Clemenza

There is also speculation that Bill Nelson will vote for Alito because he's up for election in Florida in 2006.


11 posted on 11/02/2005 1:57:27 AM PST by dawn53
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