Posted on 01/19/2006 5:21:19 AM PST by FerdieMurphy
Florida's Democratic senator met with President Bush's Supreme Court nominee, but didn't say afterward how he would vote on the nomination.
U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson emerged from a private meeting with Judge Samuel Alito on Wednesday, saying he has concerns with some of the positions expressed by President Bush's Supreme Court nominee.
Nelson, who voted to confirm Chief Justice John Roberts, remained mum as to whether he would vote for Alito, but he said through a spokesman that he had worries about some of Alito's answers ``on matters such as privacy and eminent domain, especially because of the judge's record of ruling in favor of the government over the average individual.''
The statement -- which called Nelson ''one of the moderate Democrats in Congress'' -- said the senator, who spent an hour with Alito, would make up his mind in the next few days.
Nelson's stance comes as Republicans backing Alito turn up the pressure on Nelson, one of several Democrats running for reelection in states that backed Bush in 2004.
A new Republican National Committee website urged supporters to call Nelson and urge him to support Alito -- whose detractors last week included U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Broward County Democrat, who assailed Alito's record on privacy issues.
Nelson was one of three moderate Democrats to meet Wednesday with Alito, who sought to boost his support before a vote next week by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Another Democrat from a state that supported Bush in the 2004 election -- U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska -- on Tuesday became the first Democratic senator to say he would support Alito. Nebraska's Nelson said in a prepared statement that he was backing Alito ``because of his impeccable judicial credentials, the American Bar Association's strong recommendation and his pledge that he would not bring a political agenda to the court.''
But most Senate Democrats appeared ready to vote against Alito, The Los Angeles Times reported. Still, there appeared to be little appetite for a filibuster to prevent his nomination from reaching the Senate floor.
''He's just not right for Montana, he's just not right for America,'' said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont. ``He's very polished, and he answered all of the questions I was going to ask. There is just a little too much inconsistency.'' Despite the Democratic opposition, Alito's confirmation appears all but assured. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote Tuesday on his nomination, and all 10 Republicans on the panel have pledged support. Not unexpectedly, Bill Nelson's Florida counterpart, Republican Sen. Mel Martinez, said Wednesday that he would vote for Alito when the nomination comes before the full Senate. He said the judge would bring ''no personal ideological agenda'' to the court. ''Judge Alito is thoughtful, experienced and well qualified to serve on our nation's highest court,'' Martinez said in a statement.
And those concerns would be?
Nelson had an ACU rating of 4 last year and is one of that august body's dullest and dumbest (that's quite a grouping) members.
The statement -- which called Nelson ''one of the moderate Democrats in Congress''...
Yes. Nelson is right up there as a "moderate" (whatever that means) with good old Joe LIEberman.
''He's just not right for Montana, he's just not right for America,'' said Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont.
Montana voters take note.
Nelson will win over Harris. Too many negatives on her -She's the red meat for the DIMS.
Jeb would easily win. However, for now he isn't considering it. There's talk he wants to go back into private life.
This will be a strict party line vote out of committee and Alito will garner about 55-56 votes from the full Senate.
I originally predicted 60 but don't think so now. I'm just glad we have a majority in the Senate.
I hope that Harris beats the pants off of this
guy. I drug out my "red-county/blue-county" map
and, if this thing holds, there is a darned good
possibility that Nelson will be history. I like
Congresswoman Harris very much. I think that
she'll be good for Florida and for the Nation.
I wish I had more reasons than just this to vote Republican. The socialism-lite of the GOP is better than the pure drink, I suppose. But like arsenic, the dilute form just takes longer to kill you.
Oh yeah, when the Judiciary committee meets next Tuesday, 1/24 I would think the odds are 50-50 that one of the Democrats uses their "concerns" to place another one week hold on the vote.
I know they have already had weeks of delay, including this week and the week of 1/2, but just remember I said it.
The way I understood it, they get this one week delay and that's it unless they decide to go with a true filibuster.
I doubt we'll get Nelson.
My best guess is 59 votes, we lose Chafee and hang on to the 54 and gain Ben Nelson (who we already have,) Mark Pryor, Byran Dorgan, Robert Byrd and Joesph Lieberman. Maybe that one female democrat from Louisiana too. There won't be a filibuster because many democrats who won't vote to confirm Alito also won't vote to keep a filibuster going.
This phrase seems to be the latest talking point that DemocRATS have been harping on with regard to soon-to-be Justice Alito.
What a bunch of mindless parrots.
"The way I understood it, they get this one week delay and that's it unless they decide to go with a true filibuster."
Nope, this has already been done before. When Leahy held the start of the hearings over fron Jan. 2 to Jan. 9, that was suppose to be their week, but Specter made the mistake of never making it official and Leahy went back on his word (which is worth less than one penny.) The vote that was meant for Jan. 17 was held over till Jan. 24, but again, Specter took Leahy at his word and so it's not official, leaving the door up for Leahy to do it again until Specter finally stops believing his word and makes Leahy make the week delay official and ends the delays.
It is my understanding that this week's hold was an agreement between Specter and Leahy for the reason some of the Democrat members had some "concerns".
When the committee meets on 1/24 a member can still request the week delay. Leahy said, in a letter to Specter, that he does not see this happening, but you and I know who much stock you can put in Leahy's word.
It is a filibuster w/o using the word.
The statement -- which called Nelson ''one of the moderate Democrats in Congress''
Bill Nelson (D-FL) is not a moderate. When Chappy Kennedy, Hanoi Kerry, and Socialist Hillary say "jump", Bill Nelson asks, "How high?" For example, he has opposed a ban on partial birth abortions (the kind where the doc sucks out the baby's brain to kill it). The ACLU loves Bill Nelson.
hat tip to redstate.org
They have an excellent "take" on what they speculate is happening. A very good read.
http://redstate.org/story/2006/1/18/22408/6325
Bill Nelson is my senator and has my letter supporting Judge Alito. He will not cross party lines, I think, and will not vote for confirmation.
He will not get my vote but I am not confident in K. Harris....I am afraid she cannot beat him.
We, in the Panhandle vote Republican, but the liberals down state outnumber us most of the time.
I wish Jeb would run against Nelson!!!!!
Makes one think about Vince Foster's assassination.
She's probably interested in not appearing to be too partisan a DemocRAT considering how a large part of her voting base has left Louisiana - probably permanently.
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