Posted on 11/17/2009 3:09:08 PM PST by iowamark
WASHINGTON -- Resorting to a tactic he once denounced, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile, unsuccessfully sought today to block the nomination of a federal appeals court candidate through the parliamentary technique known as the filibuster.
In a Senate floor speech this afternoon, Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, acknowledged his past opposition to filibusters of judicial nominees, but said that David Hamilton's record "indicates a lack of commitment to following the law."
Hamilton, currently a federal trial judge from Indiana, has been tapped by President Barack Obama for a seat on the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
By a 70-29 vote, the Senate easily overrode Sessions' objections and cut off debate. Instead of a simple majority of 51 votes to pass legislation or approve a nomination in the 100-member Senate, a filibuster ups the ante to 60 votes. In 2005, Sessions labeled Democrats' use of filibusters against some of then-President George W. Bush's judicial nominees"an affront to the Constitution."
(For a full report, see Wednesday's Press-Register.)
Senators Sessions and Grassley fought the good fight against the hard left Hamilton.
However, Republican Senators Alexander, Chamblis, Collins, Cornyn, Gregg, Hatch, Lugar, Murkowski, Snowe, and Thune joined with all 60 Democrats to make 70 votes for cloture.
Not McCain or Guber?
Thune is the only surprise and disappointment out of that list.
Lugar is GOING TO hear about this from me; as a Hoosier, he should have known better, and shows either his contempt for us or his blind ignorance!
David Hamilton says it’s NOT O.K. TO PRAY IN JESUS’ NAME, BUT IT IS O.K. IN ALLAH’S.
Did you all contact your Representatives???
Well so which is it? Is filibustering judges ok or not? Seems to me it’s ok, even though the GOP squawked when the Dems did it to our guys.
If the GOP has one thing, it’s unity. Where can I send my check to? /s
LOL
Platoons of radical left-wing anti-Constitutional judges, 105 Trillion dollars in debt, unions running corporations, government control over the major means of production.
Hey what else can go wrong?
NOTHING !
The USA id F****d !!!
Sorta like someone who`s slit an artery and don`t even realize they`re already dead but don`t know it yet.
It’s beyond belief how some stupid Republicans think we must fight with one hand tied behind our back.
CHAMBLISS HAS GOT TO GO!
Are there no standards at all any more? Why on earth would Hamilton even be considered eligible by any sane person?
Then stand around wringing their hands wondering why Republicans always lose. LOL
Funny, that.
me too going to regional repub meeting tonight and going to go nuts. lugar will regret voting after i talk to him.
I agree, but consistancy isn’t politically correct..... :-)
Let us know how that goes, will you?
CA....
Now that they have total control they are going to stack the Courts with their ACLU lawyers.
I spoke with several friends and coworkers about Lugar. They are all disgusted with the jerk. It’s a sorry thing when Bayh is the better Senator.
Lugar is your classic moderate. He’s positioned himself as a statesman - someone above the political fray. And the dippy people of Indiana will continue to put him in office.
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