Me thinks we did do something about this alread!
Posted on 11/18/2002 6:05:34 AM PST by TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!
Democrats plan to take one last shot at blocking one of President Bush's judicial nominees while they still control the Senate, hoping to defeat the promotion of a former aide to retiring Sen. Strom Thurmond.
The Senate set aside most of Monday to debate the appeals court nomination of U.S. District Judge Dennis Shedd. While under its current Democratic control, the chamber has only debated an appeals court nominations when party leaders wanted to kill it.
Shedd is a former assistant to the 99-year-old Thurmond, who will retire in January. Thurmond, R-S.C., has asked for Shedd's promotion to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., before he ends his 48-year Senate career.
Democratic senators and liberal groups have criticized Shedd's ruling as a trial judge, saying he has been insensitive in civil rights and employment discrimination cases.
Republicans say Shedd has been a fine judge and lawyer, and should be confirmed as a retirement favor to Thurmond, the oldest and longest serving member of Congress.
None of Bush's judicial nominees has been voted down in the full Senate, although two were stopped in the Judiciary Committee.
The GOP takes control of the Senate when the 108th Congress convenes in January. Republican leaders say they will reconsider the two appeals court nominees that the committee voted down this year.
Liberal groups were incensed Thursday when the Judiciary Committee approved Shedd's nomination on a voice vote, the first time the panel has done that for a Bush appeals court nominee. Democrats control the committee 10-9, and could have killed the nomination for the year if all Democrats had officially voted against Shedd.
But outgoing committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ruled that Shedd's proponents won the voice vote and didn't force a recorded vote.
The panel also approved Utah professor Michael McConnell for the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver by voice vote, over objections by groups opposing his outspoken opposition to abortion. The full Senate completed his confirmation Friday night without debate or a roll call vote.
The actions upset liberal activist groups.
"We are very disappointed that senators who voted for Judge Shedd were unable to put the interests of the American people, whom they were elected to serve, over their personal affection for a retiring colleague," said Nan Aron, president of the Alliance for Justice.
Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, said: "Senators who voted to confirm Dennis Shedd and Michael McConnell sent a clear signal to women, racial minorities, workers and consumers across America that their voices will not be heard."
The Senate has confirmed 99 of Bush's first 130 federal court nominations.
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On the Net:
Bush nominations
Or:
"Senators who voted to confirm Dennis Shedd and Michael McConnell sent a clear signal to decent, hard-working, traditional families across America that their voices have been heard."
It should be simple, but to the scumbags, it is not. The Democrats need activist judges who will impose taxes from the bench, who will push a socialist agenda from the bench, and who will destroy the traditional American family unit from the bench. This is how Democrats derive the political power they lust for, and everybody else be damned. It's simple.
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