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Obama is First President in US History to Have Voted to Filibuster a Supreme Court Nominee
ABC News ^ | May 30, 2009 1:08 PM | Jake Tapper

Posted on 05/31/2009 6:10:53 PM PDT by FTJM

First President in US History to Have Voted to Filibuster a Supreme Court Nominee Now Hopes for Clean Process

May 30, 2009 1:08 PM

President Obama's expressed hope today in his weekly address "that we can avoid the political posturing and ideological brinksmanship that has bogged down this (Supreme Court nomination) process, and Congress, in the past" runs against another historical first for the 44th president: his unique role in history as the first US President to have ever voted to filibuster a Supreme Court nominee.

So while there is little indication Republicans intend to filibuster President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, the GOP will likely invoke the President's unique history whenever he calls their tactics into question.

In January 2006, then-Sen. Obama joined 24 colleagues in a futile effort led by Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to filibuster the Supreme Court nomination of now-Justice Samuel Alito.

On January 29, 2006, Mr. Obama told George Stephanopulos on "This Week" that he would "be supporting the filibuster because I think Judge Alito, in fact, is somebody who is contrary to core American values, not just liberal values, you know. When you look at his decisions in particular during times of war, we need a court that is independent and is going to provide some check on the executive branch, and he has not shown himself willing to do that repeatedly."

Mr. Obama did seem to express some reserve about using the filibuster process, which in common parlance refers to a procedural Senate maneuver requiring 60 votes to end debate and proceed to a vote.

"I think that the Democrats have to do a much better job in making their case on these issues," then-Sen. Obama said. "These last-minute efforts using procedural maneuvers inside the Beltway, I think, has been the wrong way of going about it, and we need to recognize because Judge Alito will be confirmed that if we're going to oppose a nominee that we've got to persuade the American people that, in fact, their values are at stake and frankly I'm not sure that we've successfully done that."

He added that "there is an over-reliance on the part of Democrats for procedural maneuvers and mechanisms to block the president instead of proactively going out to the American people and talking about the values that we care about. And, you know, there's one way to guarantee that the judges who are appointed to the Supreme Court are judges that reflect our values and that's to win elections."

It does not appear that a filibuster will be attempted against Sotomayor.

The ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., was among 28 Republicans who voted against Sotomayor's ascension to the Court of Appeals in 1998.

But he told CNN this week, "I don't sense a filibuster in the works."

"The nominee has serious problems," Sessions said. "But I would think that we would all have a good hearing, take our time, and do it right. And then the senators cast their vote up or down based on whether or not they think this is the kind of judge that should be on the court."


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: alito; bho44; filibuster; jaketapper; obama; obamarecord; presidents; sotomayor; supremecourt

1 posted on 05/31/2009 6:10:54 PM PDT by FTJM
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To: FTJM

What goes around...


2 posted on 05/31/2009 6:13:40 PM PDT by rdl6989
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To: FTJM

Like this will actually make a difference in the Senates’s vote or anything else for that matters.... The News will cover anything that the White House does...


3 posted on 05/31/2009 6:15:12 PM PDT by Deagle
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To: FTJM

The world is round for a reason.Sweet.


4 posted on 05/31/2009 6:15:33 PM PDT by HANG THE EXPENSE (Life is tough.It's even tougher when you're stupid.)
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To: FTJM
Obama comments on the confirmation of John Roberts.

"Let me also say that I remain distressed that the White House during this confirmation process, which overall went smoothly, failed to provide critical documents as part of the record that could have provided us with a better basis to make our judgment with respect to the nomination. This White House continues to stymie efforts on the part of the Senate to do its job. I hope with the next nominee who comes up for the Supreme Court that the White House recognizes that in fact it is its duty not just to the Senate but to the American people to make sure we can thoroughly and adequately evaluate the record of every single nominee who comes before us."


5 posted on 05/31/2009 6:16:51 PM PDT by cripplecreek (The poor bastards have us surrounded.)
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To: FTJM

And the first to appoint a blatant racist judge and stand behind the nomination as the racism is exposed.


6 posted on 05/31/2009 6:17:16 PM PDT by BlueStateBlues (Blue State business, Red State heart. . . . .Palin 2012----can't come soon enough!)
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To: FTJM

Janice Rogers Brown Speech to the Federalist Society
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1405953/posts


7 posted on 05/31/2009 6:18:12 PM PDT by The Spirit Of Allegiance (Public Employees: Honor Your Oaths! Defend the Constitution from Enemies--Foreign and Domestic!)
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To: cripplecreek

Ref post 5..I hope some Senator has the cajones to read this in the hearings.


8 posted on 05/31/2009 6:19:10 PM PDT by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannolis. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: FTJM

Is it possible that Obama’s Chickenhawks will come home to roost?


9 posted on 05/31/2009 6:23:54 PM PDT by DakotaRed (Don't you wish you had supported a conservative when you had the chance?)
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To: FTJM
I am worried about Jake. If he continues this questioning of the Messiah, Lord Obama the most Merciful, ABC will demote him from White House Correspondent to reporting on hurricanes and wildfires. That is pretty much what they did to Brit Hume back around 1995.
10 posted on 05/31/2009 6:24:58 PM PDT by Tupelo
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To: FTJM
He added that "there is an over-reliance on the part of Democrats for procedural maneuvers and mechanisms to block the president instead of proactively going out to the American people...

Zero just want the revolution. He hates America, and the political process. He has no respect for it save what it can give him personally.

11 posted on 05/31/2009 6:41:31 PM PDT by Clock King
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To: FTJM
"The nominee has serious problems," Sessions said. "But I would think that we would all have a good hearing, take our time, and do it right. And then the senators cast their vote up or down based on whether or not they think this is the kind of judge that should be on the court."

The Republican Party is just a flock of pussies. They don't even make a good opposition party anymore. Nominees Bork, Thomas, Alito, get run thru the meat grinder and Ginsberg and, apparently, Sodomizer, will get a free ride. And for what? Do they honestly think anyone will remember their "decorum" in this matter?

12 posted on 05/31/2009 6:50:09 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Putin warned Obama not to pursue Marxism. Obama has ignored him.)
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To: FTJM
Obama and his minions will just bang their shoes in the table.
13 posted on 05/31/2009 6:51:29 PM PDT by keving (We get the government we vote for)
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To: VeniVidiVici
The Republican Party is just a flock of pussies. They don't even make a good opposition party anymore. Nominees Bork, Thomas, Alito, get run thru the meat grinder and Ginsberg and, apparently, Sodomizer, will get a free ride. And for what? Do they honestly think anyone will remember their "decorum" in this matter?

Agreed, they are pussies. Scared of their shadows.

14 posted on 05/31/2009 6:55:05 PM PDT by FTJM
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To: rdl6989

Well, I am glad that he believes that it is okay to filibuster a SC nominee.


15 posted on 05/31/2009 7:11:46 PM PDT by Blood of Tyrants (Socialism is the belief that most people are better off if everyone was equally poor and miserable.)
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Sotomayor is the biggest racist I have seen in years. She handed down a ruling that is now before the Supreme Court in which she said that the city of New Haven, Conn. had the right to throw out a standard exam because not enough minorities got high enough scores for promotions to the fire department. Are you kiddng me? What happened to equality? An equal opportunity to study, and equal test, an equal chance for the promotion. Image the backlash if it was thrown out because not enough whites passed the test. In no case should it have been thrown out. If it walks like a racist and rules like a racist....( google Ricci v. DeStefano )


16 posted on 05/31/2009 7:52:17 PM PDT by Enoughdems4alifetime (Sotomayor, Obama, Supreme Court, Judge Sotomayor)
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To: FTJM

“I’m President now. Please don’t do to me what I did to you.”


17 posted on 05/31/2009 7:53:04 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: FTJM

The Republicans aren’t even asking Obama to use any lube.


18 posted on 05/31/2009 7:55:17 PM PDT by antiRepublicrat
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To: FTJM

I love it!


19 posted on 05/31/2009 7:56:06 PM PDT by sickoflibs (Socialist Conservatives: "'Big government is free because tax cuts pay for it'")
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To: FTJM; SumProVita; HardStarboard; BradyLS; Ernest_at_the_Beach; dervish; Twotone; Free ThinkerNY; ...

The list, ping


20 posted on 05/31/2009 8:40:44 PM PDT by Nachum (The complete Obama list at www.nachumlist.com)
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