Live Thread: Estrada Filibuster Day 3

C-SPAN-2 ^ | US Senate

[PhiKapMom]

Good for you! At least that makes one more vote to allow a vote! Guess Nelson is skittish over the South Florida population!

[hoosiermama]

I spoke with Evan Bayh's office this AM. As soon As I mentioned I was in favor of Estrada, the aid assured me that Bayh often went against party line. That started my rant. I told her how completely out of line the filibuster was, particularly with out country on the brink of war. That Estrada was extremely well qualified and of good character. That I was appalled with Kennedy's and Bird's comments. ANd furthmore, I expected Bayh to represent the conservative democrats and republican that live in Indiana not the left wing liberals on the coasts.......... I think she got the idea. She stated that Bayh wasn't a part of THAT group. Take it for what it's worth. I've heard comments like that before and when the vote came, he voted the opposite of what I'd been told. Right along party line.
His phone number is 202-224-5623

[PhiKapMom]

Thanks for that report! I heard this afternoon that Bayh was leaning on voting to have the vote which is all we are looking for. That was a great -- would have loved to have seen the look on the person's face who answered the phone!

[hoosiermama]

I actually said at one point: "If he feels he MUST stay with his party on the vote so be it, but at least allow the vote."

She was very pleasant and reassuring the Bayh had his own ideas, and wouldn't be lead by a small faction within the party. We'll see.

[hoosiermama]

My list of those who have spoken against Estrada:
Fat Kennedy
Pat Murray
Mark Dayton
Tim Johnson
Dick Durbin
Robert Byrd
Schumer
Landrieu

Can you add more.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Edwards
Clinton
Boxer
Stabenow
Feinstein
Dorgan
Reid
Leahy
Biden

Let them stand and be counted. I know there were more, but they all run together in one amorphous blob after a while.

[BaBaStooey]

Mr. Frist has something Lott doesn't have: cuevas.

Mr. Lott would have let his president down days ago. Heck, the nomination might not have even made it to the floor if "can't we all get along" Trent were still running the show.

[syriacus]

Hatch is doing a great job. Reading from newspapers that support a Senate vote on Estrada. I especially liked his reading from a greatly enlarged copy of the Wathington Post saying, "Just vote."

[Goodman26]

Our claims of racism will backfire.

Yeah. I think, if this guy is truely the most qualified, then his GOP supporters never should've made reference to his race. Now, the soft GOP senators are going to think, "Gee, we had so much trouble with this conservative, even though he was hispanic. In the future, we can only appoint (1.) people less conservative, or (2.) people with even more politically correct personal attributes."

Unfortunately, that will be the take-away for the Orin Hatch types.

This episode, regardless of how it turns out, hardly opens the door for race-blind appointments of true conservatives, as Bush probably was hoping. It is disappointing that we led down this road, when we control both houses of Congress and the White House.