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The Base is Wrong About the Gang of 14
American Thinker ^ | January 30, 2008 | Richard Baehr

Posted on 01/30/2008 7:19:07 AM PST by ECM

When conservatives lay out their long list of apostasies committed by John McCain, one of them is always his role in the Gang of 14, the 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans in the Senate who agreed to a judicial compromise in 2005. The deal that was struck eliminated the use of the "nuclear option" by the then-GOP-controlled Senate, and also limited the Democratic minority's ability to use the filibuster to block certain judicial nominees (at the time the deal was stuck, there were no pending Supreme Court nominations, only Appellate Court nominations were being held up).

To put it plainly, the critics of the deal are flat out wrong. Conservatives should thank John McCain and the other Senators who were part of the Gang of 14 for getting three Appeals Court nominees who had been held up, Janice Rogers Brown, William Pryor, and Priscilla Owen, approved quickly and Brett Kavanaugh approved a bit later, and for Samuel Alito making it onto the Supreme Court without a filibuster blocking his way. And they should thank John McCain for preserving for the Republican Party the use of the filibuster on judicial nominations that might be made by a Democratic President beginning in 2009 or later.

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


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 109th; 110th; confirmation; gangof14; judges; mccain; rinos; supremecourt
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To: ECM
"Richard Baehr , a healthcare management consultant, is the president of Richard A. Baehr & Associates.

He serves as an expert witness in healthcare litigation cases including regulatory appeals, bankruptcy proceedings, valuations and antitrust matters.

A speaker and writer on the subject of the Middle East, he has served as education director for AIPAC in Illinois and is on AIPAC’s National Executive Committee.

He works with several members of the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on matters relating to the Middle East."


I really like "expert" witnesses.

I mean I really, really like them.

21 posted on 01/30/2008 7:28:43 AM PST by G.Mason (And what is intelligence if not the craft of out-thinking our adversaries?)
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To: Westbrook

“I’ll vote third party or write-in before I vote for that treacherous Left-pandering creep.”

Agreed. Thought I’d write in Thompson’s name, but am thinking about voting Constitution Party.


22 posted on 01/30/2008 7:28:52 AM PST by MayflowerMadam
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To: ECM

Here comes the sell. Don’t trust your own eyes...suck it up and vote McCain...don’t waste your vote...he is too a conservative...(did I miss any??).


23 posted on 01/30/2008 7:29:40 AM PST by AD from SpringBay (We deserve the government we allow.)
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To: ECM

Apparently Mr. Baehr thinks the democrats in control of a new Senate alongside a democrat president will leave the rules intact. It’s a rule change the dems won’t think twice about making to take a filibuster from the hands of Republicans. Dems play hardball for keeps and they know their strongest allies in government are activists liberals in the judiciary.


24 posted on 01/30/2008 7:30:06 AM PST by Sgt_Schultze
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To: ECM

Okay, so even if he isn’t to blame about the Gang of 14, that still doesn’t excuse the rather long laundry list of reasons why I’d never vote for the man. Are we really going to have to endure 10 months of apologists trying to erase 10 years of McCain’s attempts to undermine the party? That’s just sad.


25 posted on 01/30/2008 7:30:36 AM PST by VegasBaby (No way to McStain)
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To: csmusaret

'Ol Ironhair

26 posted on 01/30/2008 7:30:49 AM PST by Obadiah
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To: ECM

Filibustering Executive appointments is a misuse of Senate rules that result in a violation of the Constitutional requirement for the Senate to Advise & Consent.

Once again, McCain stood on the side of a violation of the Constitution.

I will never vote for him. Never.


27 posted on 01/30/2008 7:31:07 AM PST by savedbygrace (SECURE THE BORDERS FIRST (I'M YELLING ON PURPOSE))
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To: Obadiah

That’s the one. LOL.


28 posted on 01/30/2008 7:32:17 AM PST by csmusaret (John McCain is a self rightous little prick.)
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To: Obadiah
HAIRWARS!


29 posted on 01/30/2008 7:33:41 AM PST by Vasilli22
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To: ECM

I’ve never quite figured out what the issue was with the ‘gang of 14’. Seemed like it accomplished some good to me. So what was the problem with it?


30 posted on 01/30/2008 7:34:30 AM PST by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: csmusaret

Lay down with dogs — get up with fleas.


31 posted on 01/30/2008 7:35:00 AM PST by longun45 (There is no difference between a republocrat and a demican, time to kick them both out.)
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To: ECM; All

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120146652798920519.html?mod=opinion_journal_political_diary

“Mr. McCain bruised his standing with conservatives on the issue when in 2005 he became a key player in the so-called gang of 14, which derailed an effort to end Democratic filibusters of Bush judicial nominees. More recently, Mr. McCain has told conservatives he would be happy to appoint the likes of Chief Justice John Roberts to the Supreme Court. But he indicated he might draw the line on a Samuel Alito, because “he wore his conservatism on his sleeve.”


32 posted on 01/30/2008 7:35:11 AM PST by AuntB (" DON'T LET THE PRESS PICK YOUR CANDIDATE!" Mrs. Duncan Hunter 1/5/08)
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To: ECM

Republicans had the majority, they should have used the nuclear option early. To paraphrase from Mdm. Pilosi “that’s what happens when you win elections.”


33 posted on 01/30/2008 7:35:40 AM PST by MatD
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To: All
...Conservatives should thank John McCain and the other Senators who were part of the Gang of 14...

Thank you very much, you provided my answer. I don't want to belong to any party /organization that think like you do! Which means, if you are a 'conservative,' then, I don't want to be one!

There is a principle here more important to me than any other: LOYALTY. I could never TRUST anyone who pretends to be one of ours, but in pratice is nothing else than a surrogate for the other side.


34 posted on 01/30/2008 7:36:01 AM PST by ElPatriota (Duncan Hunter 08 -- I am proud to support this man as my president)
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To: ECM

Glad to see them catching up with what I posted last December:

“I’d also note Mccain didn’t stop Bush from getting his judges. That was at a total impasse before Mccain and others acted to prevent the republicans from stupidly jumping off a cliff without a parachute by using the nuke option. Only after that did Bush nominees begin to again pass the senate. No Gang of 14, no Roberts and Alito.

Had the nuke option passed, the dems today would have nothing to prevent them from doing as they wished. The last year would have been very different.”


35 posted on 01/30/2008 7:36:29 AM PST by tlb
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To: csmusaret
If we get Hillary or Obama nominating Supreme Court Justices I think we will be glad we still have the fillibuster option.

If the Republicans even look like they're thinking about using the filibuster (highly doubtful), the Democrats will nuke it without a moment's hesitation. All the Gang of 14 did was leave the option there for the Democrats, while holding up as many of Bush's appointees as humanly possible.

36 posted on 01/30/2008 7:36:42 AM PST by WhistlingPastTheGraveyard (former republican)
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To: Westbrook

Huh? He wasn't saying vote for McCain, just saying to any who gripe about "gang of 14", they should scratch that one off the list. That is a bit different, isn't it?

37 posted on 01/30/2008 7:37:00 AM PST by BlueDragon
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To: the gillman@blacklagoon.com

“We’re down to four treacherous left wing creeps to choose from and they’re all about the same.”

i dont think they are quite the same
if you use ACU rankings McCain gets a lifetime 82.6 and 2006 65
while Clinton gets a 9
big difference on those scores


38 posted on 01/30/2008 7:38:14 AM PST by DM1
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To: ECM

IMO, it’s big-time toilet bowl time for our country, our futures, our security, and our freedoms as they are about to be flushed. Pathetically, our ancestors are turning in their graves at this disgraceful election. The duped American people have been brainwashed thanks to Liberals and the MSM. Unfortunately, it’s going to get very very bad before anyone wakes up. Pray for all of us, our children, and grandchildren. Hopefully, we can turn it around once the American people realize they’ve been brainwashed and lied to.


39 posted on 01/30/2008 7:38:19 AM PST by ExTexasRedhead
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To: ECM
thank John McCain for preserving for the Republican Party the use of the filibuster on judicial nominations that might be made by a Democratic President beginning in 2009 or later

Sure as heck, that was Big John's intent from the very beginning......../sarc

40 posted on 01/30/2008 7:38:23 AM PST by Hot Tabasco
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