Schumer Suggests Arlen Specter's Nomination to the US Supreme Court

Associated Press ^ | 6/10/03 | DEVLIN BARRETT

[GeneralHavoc]

Schumer writes White House with suggestions for Supreme Court

By DEVLIN BARRETT The Associated Press 6/10/2003, 8:30 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Charles Schumer, currently leading the Democrats' filibuster of two judicial nominees, sent a letter to President Bush Tuesday suggesting nominees for possible Supreme Court vacancies — including Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.

Schumer, D-N.Y., made his recommendations in case a sitting justice should leave the nine-member Supreme Court in the near future. Supreme Court-watchers say one or two resignations among the aging justices are more likely than in recent years.

Schumer's suggested list of five candidates includes Specter and Michael Mukasey, a Ronald Reagan appointee now serving as chief judge of the federal court in Manhattan. He also recommends judges Anne Williams, Edward Prado and Stanley Marcus, all current federal appeals court judges nominated by Republican presidents.

Schumer's effort to block the nominations of lawyer Miguel Estrada and Texas Supreme Court Judge Priscilla Owens has angered Republicans, who have suggested redrafting Senate rules to prevent filibusters of judicial nominees.

Schumer's letter also offers a fair dose of criticism of Bush's judicial nomination process so far. Critics have said Bush is trying to load the courts with ultraconservative judges. Should a vacancy occur on the Supreme Court, Bush has pledged to pick a firm ideological conservative in the mold of justices Antonin Scalia or Clarence Thomas.

"You, more than any other president in history, have chosen judges through an ideological prism," Schumer wrote in the letter. The Estrada-Owens conflict "has frustrated both of us," he wrote. "If you were to select a mainstream nominee, you would do the process, the judiciary and the nation a real service."

Specter said in a statement: "I appreciate Sen. Schumer's recommendation, but I am sure that the president already has his short list if a vacancy arises." A White House spokeswoman could not immediately be reached for comment.

Schumer suggests the White House discuss possible nominees with the Senate before a seat on the bench is even vacant.

The senator argues in the letter that both sides should try to come up with a candidate who will receive universal support in the closely divided Senate.

"The White House needs to find someone who all 100 Senators can support, not just 51 Republicans," Schumer said. "Look, we don't have to have a big fight about this, we don't want to have a big fight about this, but that means some real consultation."

[GeneralHavoc]

http://www.pattoomey.org makes a good point...

Compare the Candidates

Congressman Toomey and Senator Specter are both registered Republicans, but the candidates differ drastically on the issues. Check back each week to find out another issue which they disagree. This week:

Congressman Toomey has never voted for a tax increase.

Senator Specter has voted for 5 major taxes increases, two of them were the largest in American history at the time.

[Allegra]

Anything Chuckie Schumer endorses....

RUN FROM IT!!

[deport]

Schumer thinks we are idiots.

---

According to at least one in his state the republicans are.....

[GeneralHavoc]

Who's running against Chuckie, btw, or is he getting a pass?

[litehaus]

This IS "Magic Bullet Man", right?

[deport]

Who's running against Chuckie, btw, or is he getting a pass?

---

I have no idea.... Maybe a Yorker can help you out.......

tlbshow who's running against your Senator?

[GeneralHavoc]

I just saw that Wall Street trader Michael Benjamin is running against Chuckie. http://www.benjamin2004.com/

And Congressman Toomey, of course, is challenging the RINO... http://www.pattoomey.org

[lowbridge]

"Advise and Consent" is getting turned on it's head here. Schummer wants to Advise the Prez then have the Prez. nominate then Schummer and his pals can vote in the guy they suggested!!!

Exactly. Schumer now wants the power to nominate, The President is lucky if he gets a say in this new process (it's best if he just says yes to Schhumers nominations), and to hell with what the constitution says.

[firewalk]

Sen. Charles Schumer, currently leading the Democrats' filibuster of two judicial nominees, sent a letter to President Bush Tuesday suggesting nominees for possible Supreme Court vacancies — including Republican Sen. Arlen Specter

Arlen Specter?...Nope

[TC Rider]

I would think that Chucky had cojones the size of cannonballs for even suggesting a nominee to our President, if I didn't already know they were in Hillary's pocket.

[lowbridge]

I'm sorry, I thought the President was responsible for nominations. The nerve of this guy is just amazing. Since when did advice and consent on nominations presented translate into the justification for making suggestions prior to the fact? His egomania knows no bounds!

Hey, constitutional laws do not apply to the Democrats.

[GeneralHavoc]

Yeah, why nominate Arlen when you can have the same effect nominating a Democrat Senator like Chuckie Schumer or Hillary Clinton so we can at least pick up a seat.

[meenie]

The specter of Spector being on the Supreme Court is frightening.

[lowbridge]

Sen. Charles Schumer, currently leading the Democrats' filibuster of two judicial nominees, sent a letter to President Bush Tuesday suggesting nominees for possible Supreme Court vacancies — including Republican Sen. Arlen Specter.

The absolute height of arrogance.

US Constitution, article 2, section 2:

He (the President) shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court,

[firewalk]

Yeah, why nominate Arlen when you can have the same effect nominating a Democrat Senator like Chuckie Schumer or Hillary Clinton so we can at least pick up a seat

Don't even suggest such things...

[Zack Nguyen]

Specter is pro-abortion. That is the single most important issue at stake here. Nothing else comes close.

[Hacksaw]

Senator Schumer would have made a good Capo.

[MinuteGal]

I'm not getting too excited about Chuckie's pathetic little billet doux at the moment. I think there will be no Supreme Court justices resigning till after the election.

We've got to work for a safe margin of Republican votes in the Senate next time, folks.

Leni

[Kuksool]

Shumer is an arrogrant jerk. It is a shame he is getting a free pass in next year's Senate race.

[GeneralHavoc]

In the News/Activism forum, on a thread titled Schumer Suggests Arlen Specter's Nomination to the US Supreme Court, MinuteGal wrote:
I'm not getting too excited about Chuckie's pathetic little billet doux at the moment. I think there will be no Supreme Court justices resigning till after the election.
We've got to work for a safe margin of Republican votes in the Senate next time, folks.

Leni

Good idea, but we can do better.

Let's pick up more GOP seats but also switch pro-abortion RINO Specter for a REAL Republican by electing Congressman Pat Toomey to Senate.
www.pattoomey.org