Posted on 03/05/2015 2:17:46 PM PST by jazusamo
Senate Democrats are pressuring Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to bring the attorney general nomination of Loretta Lynch to the floor, with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) telling reporters on a conference call that a “hard right Republican temper tantrum on immigration” was keeping her from assuming Eric Holder’s job.
Lynch does have the support of some Republicans. Three GOPs including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) backed Lynch during last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee vote.
“It’s time to turn the page on Eric Holder’s tenure as Attorney General. We need a fresh start in the position, and this is an opportunity for our nation to move forward,” Graham said, calling her “well-qualified” for the role.
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) also voted for Lynch at the Judiciary Committee level.
Not all Republicans are as excited, though. “Given Ms. Lynch’s impressive credentials and commitment to public service, I wish that I could support her nomination,” Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) said Friday. “Unfortunately, I cannot. During our meeting, Ms. Lynch refused to answer fundamental questions about the U.S. Constitution and how it limits the president’s authority.”
Republicans who backed away from using the Department of Homeland Security appropriations bill to defund President Obama’s immigration orders have seen holding up the Lynch nomination — 118 days since Obama announced his pick, as of today — as a viable plan B.
“If they want to oppose the president’s executive orders, they should do so in the courts,” Schumer said. “Or, better yet, by passing immigration reform once and for all, which we on the Judiciary Committee worked so long and hard on. But to hold up the nomination of Miss Lynch over immigration is just plain wrong.”
“I’ve heard time and time again from my Republican colleagues that they think Eric Holder’s lawless and they – in their words, and want him to leave. And, yet, here we have this incredibly qualified person to come in, and it’s been stalled out,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) said on the call. “…She should be judged on her merits, and not used as a pawn in a proxy fight over the president’s immigration policies.”
Sen. Pat Leahy (D-Vt.) said there wasn’t time to push through Lynch’s nomination while Democrats still had the Senate majority, but instead pushing through judicial nominees with lifetime appointments at the end of the 113th Congress was “a very good trade off.”
“By the time we get to a vote, even if we were to have a vote on Monday, it makes no sense at all. I’m – I’m thinking of people like Loretta Lynch and her family, who fought hard for civil rights, and now on the anniversary of Selma, she’s being told just be patient and wait your turn,” Leahy said. “That’s wrong. And it’s beneath the Senate.”
The Dems said all of the members of the caucus signed a letter to McConnell asking for a vote.
“The problem seems to be that Republicans remain intent on finding any outlet they can to express their frustration with the president, until they get their way on immigration,” Schumer said. “First, they tried defunding the Department of Homeland Security in order to overturn the president’s executive action. Now, that that hasn’t worked, there are reports that more and more of the hard right Republicans are directing their ire at Mrs. Lynch’s nomination. That’s not fair to Ms. Lynch, and it’s the wrong way to govern.”
How would Schmuck explain overwhelming popular opinion on this issue - a temper tantrum?
Juan Hatchling Flake and Linda are Republicans?
There’re two sets of rules according to the democrats and the media - one set for the democrats, and one set for everyone else.
No new Head Federal Dick until F&F is prosecuted.
Exactly, and some answers she gave plus the questions she refused to answer. It’s amazing to me that any Republican, even the turncoats would vote for this nominee.
Agreed, no new nominee should be confirmed until 0bama’s lawlessness is reined in.
Notice they didn’t classify the Democrat Filibuster as a “temper tantrum”
Why can’t someone articulate how dangerous open borders are at this time which are fully supported by all dems lining up behind their king. Blood will be on their hands when something happens because of the dem support for lawlessness. No one will say it
Yeah, right. Robert Bork was "well qualified" to be on SCOTUS, but what did that get him?
Defending our borders, language and culture is “right wing”?
Sounds pretty main stream, IMO
Absolutely, if these commie Dems had been as radical during the cold war as they are now we’d be part of the old USSR.
Lindsey Graham is about as useful as the tits on a boar hog.
Four people were killed by a “Dreamer” in Charlotte NC.
He applied for DACA, which is illegal and he should have been deported before he could kill Americans. DACA should have been challenged in court immediately by the GOP, but they want amnesty, too, so they didn’t. They have been getting so much flack from the citizens they had to stage this dog and pony show of resistance to Obama’s illegal 2nd amnesty, which they just approved by funding it.
No one is representing the citizens.
GOP=cheap labor
DNC=cheap votes
Yep, and that would be a step up for him.
...just a little show, MeCain will then fuss at us and she'll pass.
Aaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww!!!!
What the hell difference does it make? As long as the Republicans hold up Lynch we have Holder. There is a line of Holder/Lynch candidates out there. You either pick one or continue with Holder. I don’t think he really wants to leave. I think he doesn’t want to answer committee questions. He can continue to avoid this as long as his resignation is on the table.
In terms of what either of them would do as AG, it doesn't make a difference. What these RINOs do not get is Holder leaving office and Lynch being nominated is a opportunity. Republicans could put the pressure on Lynch to the point that she gives up. Concurrently, they should be attacking Holder. This can continue with each nominee thrown at the Senate, since I am sure Obama will nominated only like minded people. The goal is to expose Democrats for what they really are while promoting conservative principles. Any opportunity for an argument is good. It will reflect poorly on Obama and more generally all Democrats.
The problem with Republicans is that they are impotent and too few actually have any principles.
Nice that Toomey said that. But too bad Toomey's knowledge of the U.S. Constitution, in particular the 2nd Amendment, is not up to snuff. He needs to be primarried. I can't stand this unprincipled SOB.
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