Posted on 01/10/2006 2:36:41 PM PST by Aussie Dasher
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R.-Tenn.) just paid a visit to Bloggers' Row to reaffirm his commitment to making sure Samuel Alito's confirmation vote will happen by Jan. 20 -- the date agreed upon by Republicans and Democrats, which has been threatened by Democratic delay tactics.
"That is the day that had generally been agreed to in conversations among Senators Leahy, Specter, Reid and myself," Frist said. "And it has been colored a little bit differently the last few days by Senators Kennedy, Schumer and others, all of whom have it within their power to make feeble attempts at delay and postponement."
Frist was leery of talking about a possible Democratic filibuster, which Sen. Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) threatened this weekend on NBC News' "Meet the Press." However, Frist repeated his vow to do whatever is in his power to assure Alito and other judicial nominees up-or-down votes on the Senate floor.
"There are procedural maneuvers that can be used by the Democrats, which have they used in the past, that can continually delay," Frist said. "So what you have to do is work with the Judiciary Committee and decide upon the soonest, most practical time. I would have much rather had it done before Christmas, but that was impossible to do."
Regarding the so-called "nuclear option," which Frist prefers to call the "constitutional option," he said: "I've said in the past that, and yes, I didn't do it because it was the will of these 14 senators [in the Gang of 14] to not allow me to use the constitutional option, but I made very clear that is a tool that I have to use."
As for the immediate timetable, Frist said he wants the hearings to be finished by the end of the week, and he expects Senate Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter (R.-Pa.) to work through the weekend.
"If there's anyone feeling that we'll do these hearings until Thursday and then push them off until Martin Luther King Day, that's not going to happen," Frist said.
Frist is no leader.
He thinks his job is to equivocate.
Don't they know? His name is Ali-oto. Why do they keep calling the poor man 'Alito'? For goodness sake. Senator Kennedy has been trying to correct people. Can't we respect the poor man? I know, I know. He likes little girls to be strip-searched, probably likes to watch. And he's an evile republican. But let's get it right, OK?
/sarc
"Frist Won't Tolerate Democrat Delay on Vote"
Riiiiiiight! (Think Bill Cosby in his Noah skit.)
1/100 chance there is a vote on January 20th.
Yep.
Frist is a coward and his threats are now empty. The Dems will take as long as they please.
"...Frist Won't Tolerate Democrat Delay on Vote..."
Why not. He's tolerated much more dimoCRACKtic BS than this.
Frist has mice nuts.
Why is this dunce still majority leader, when he's retiring in a few months.
yeah, that word
Don't worry about the yawning. Everybody cares deeply. If there's a filibuster, you BET we'll get off our duffs. Until then, well, people are still melloed out from the Christmas season. And what a season it was, probably the greatest moment in the US since winning WWII. So many people standing up for Christmas! Still warms my heart. FRegards....
Mice nuts? They are that big?
What's a cubit?
BTW... I don't want you thinking I insinuated that the US singlehandedly won WWII. You bet I respect the Aussies' participation! FRegards....
Frist needs to do more than stamp his feet and hold his breath until he turns blue.
"How long can you tread water?"
If Frist doesn't want to build that arc, we'll MAKE him build it, God willing!
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