Miguel Estrada withdraws nomination

FOXNEWS | 9/4/03

[hchutch]

I recall about a half-dozen cloture votes.

Take a look at the White House web page on Judicial Nominations:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/judicialnominees/

Sorry, but I'm getting really ticked about a LOT of this griping. You can't say Bush and Frist did what they could - and it's bene pointed out that there was nothing (given McConnell's health and some other situations among Republican seantors) to prevent a bunch of Dems from doign what the Texas ChickenDems did, and havign someone suggest the absence of a quorum (I bet that was one of their options if Frist went 24/7).

[Avoiding_Sulla]

Ya know, hop. I'm getting mighty p.o.ed at Bush. In August he could have put Estrada thru as a recess appointment. Perhaps Estrada was also disappointed that didn't happen, and this withdrawal is his a long overdue response.

I'm still waiting to see this president or any congressional movement to slap the SCOTUS for their dangerous precedent for shredding of the constitution. That nobody is addressing the constitutional crisis created by their assertion of "compelling state interests" as the sole reason permitting them to ignore the constitution -- now THAT was INVITING Sulla to come prancing thru the breach so created. And nobody is paying the least bit of notice.

This, my friend, is but a minor blip compared to the immense dereliction of duty that is that leaving that ruling unassailed and even unremarked. May they all rot in hades.

Here is what is has become of those who have sworn to "Defend and protect the constitution."

[hchutch]

A Losertarian.

[StriperSniper]

You gotta ask yourself why the Dems are able to accomplish as the minority what the Reps could not do when in a similar position. Voting for a 3rd party would not give any different results

BUMP!

[hchutch]

You know, posts like your last one convince me Bush and Frist are fighting their OWN two-front war. One side is the RATS, the other are a bunch of would-be pundits ON THEIR OWN TEAM second-guessing just about every damn call they make.

Sometimes, I wonder why the hell a lot of these folks BOTHER trying to get things done!

[johnb838]

It's just that the courts are becoming Sooooo onerous and millions of us are hoping for some relief through new judge appointments. That Bush hasn't been able to exert his will to get some conservatives on the bench is excruciatingly disappointing. Still, I realize we must continue to build on the progress we have made in 2000 and 2002. It takes a long time to turn the ship around. Once it IS turned around it will be very difficult to stop.

[mhking]

Sorry, but I'm getting really ticked about a LOT of this griping.

Then do something about it. Stop giving the Administration a pass.

As long as you say nothing you're giving them carté blanche to keep doing it. You honestly think Frist wants to get the job done? Please. If he had, we wouldn't be looking at this mess.

And Bush hasn't said word one to him about it. Let's hear from him now, huh? You can damn sure know that the candates are rushing every microphone in sight to point out how this is a failure of Bush's. And you know that the network talking heads will spin it that way.

But nooooo....we're HONORABLE....

Feh.

[mhking]

You know, posts like your last one convince me Bush and Frist are fighting their OWN two-front war.

Oh, it's a two-front war all right. One is against the Dems, and the other is against common sense.

You want to blindly follow them off the cliff, go right ahead, but dammit, stop getting in the way of those of us who see the cliff and who are trying to avert a disaster.

[jackbill]

Miguel up and quit - he has to take some of the blame as a result.

That's pure B---S---!

How long is he supposed to put his life on hold, waiting for the spineless Republicans to do something? It's been over two years already. How long should he have waited?

[Wphile]

Hate to rain on your optimistic parade about the future but I fear it will only get worse. If Arlen Spectre wins re-election next year and the GOP keeps the Senate, he will be the new chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Spectre is no friend of conservatives and especially so when it comes to the judiciary.

This is an unbelievably sad day. The dems will be inspired by their success in driving Estrada out so they will likely continue to use the same tactics. Our judiciary system is broken and the loss of Estrada's nomination only makes it worse. There is no light at the end of this tunnel, I'm afraid.

Even with a pickup of 3 or 4 more GOP Senators, the democrats can continue with this filibuster-lite tactic. And with Spectre at the helm of the SJC, we are in big, big trouble.

A very sad day for the fate of our republic, indeed.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Yeah, he's just been waiting two and a half years with his life on hold. He should have been willing to wait the rest of his life, like conservatives have waited for the GOP to do something.

[wita]

Hey, lets not couch those remarks in pc speak, we all know what the gimmies are good at, it isn't winning. To win something you have to play by the rules. The list of what the gimmies are good at would challenge my vocabulary, and my standing, if I have any, to post on FreeRepublic.

[bluebunny]

You gotta ask yourself why the Dems are able to accomplish as the minority what the Reps could not do when in a similar position. Voting for a 3rd party would not give any different results This is why liberalish is going to triumph over conservatism. Simply put there are more of them that believe passionately about ideas and principles. You see it even on here every day. People saying we can't do this, we can't do that, blah, blah, blah....... We have to "settle" for less. Liberals never settle.

[PhiKapMom]

Everyone stop and think! Estrada pulled his nomination -- what do you want President Bush to do -- lock him in a closet and demand he stay in the nominating process. Give the man a break!

Maybe some of you should take a deep breath and look at what you are saying -- going to give the election to the DemocRATs now and have them run the Senate on everything -- you want tax hikes -- act like you are acting right now and turn the Senate over to the RATS along with the White House and the House of Representatives all over a judicial nomination.

Senator Frist could not do a nuclear option over a judicial nominee. What is more important -- getting a budget through for our military and the rest of the agencies or a judicial nomination?

Well this lifelong Republican has never wavered, will never waver, and I want the Senate taking up the very important work I sent them to do and that is to pass the budget for the DoD and other agencies. There is a war going on, we have an economy that needs help, and judicial nominations are not at the top of my list!

I have followed politics for more years than I care to admit and I remember Republicans doing the same thing to RAT judicial nominations and I stood behind the Republicans when we were in the minority because the judges were too liberal. Strom Thurmond was one of the best when it came to filibusters.

We do not want to go down a path with a nuclear option and do away with the ability to filibuster. That would be a mistake IMO if we ever become the minority again. If you all don't stop and think for a change instead of reacting immediately, that could happen. Then what have you got -- a truly stalmated Senate or worse yet a RAT President and DemocRAT Senate because of your "principled" stand.

I cannot believe what I am reading on this thread! Have any of you been around politics a long time to go back to the days when we really were in the minority in the House and Senate and couldn't even put a filibuster together unless we got the Southern Democrats on board? Well I do, and this lifelong Republican doesn't intend to go there again.

This can be used in the election if any of you even care about that! Guess it is better for some to blow off steam rather than THINK!

This is my last statement on this thread! You can all stomp your feet, whine, get angry, and do whatever you want but that doesn't change the fact that Estrada withdrew the nomination. During this whole process everyone knocked the Republicans but where was the anger against the DemocRATs for doing this? No the anger focused on the Republicans.

Guess my question now is "WHY?" How many of you throwing fits on here have been Republicans since 1980 -- that means registered Republicans! How many of you have worked in the trenches to get Republicans elected? How many phone calls have you made for Republican candidates? How many precincts have you walked for Republican candidates? How many hours have you spent working in campaigns?

When you can answer that you have been a Republican and supported Reagan (who BTW didn't get every nomination through he wanted and had to compromise), and have been an active volunteer in campaigns, then maybe people will listen.

It is easy to sit behind a keyboard as I am doing right now and gripe, get angry, etc., but what good is it doing to take down the Republicans on an open forum -- absolutely no good -- Estrada withdrew the nomination plain and simple. The RATs at RATs.com and DU must be having a field day watching all of you trash Republicans. They don't need to do a thing -- just come on FR and pull off everything negative said about Republicans and their job is done!

Thanks for making their job easier and those of us Republicans that work campaigns harder.

That's all I have to say on this subject -- flame away but it is a waste of your time. It is one thing to give objective criticsm but to threaten to withhold your vote over a judicial nominee that pulled his own name is ludicrous. If you cannot read and see what you are doing for the opposition, there is absolutely nothing left to say.

Have a nice day and enjoying trashing Republicans instead of the real culprits -- the DemocRAT Senators who used the Rules to their advantage!

[ken5050]

There was a rumor a while back that the price the WH exacted for supporting Arlen in the primary..and givingnhim a few fund raisers, was that Arlen would withdraw as the next head of the SJC...of course, that assumes he beats Toomey..

[MamaLucci]

The point is that the GOP has now let the democrats get away with
unconstitutionally requiring a nominee to get 60 votes.
THIS was a fight to go to the mat for....and as usual the pubbies folded
like a cheap suit.

[hchutch]

Oh, and from Atlanta you have a better idea of what some Senators are thinking than Frist? How much have you been dealing with this issue?

I'm not trying to be difficult, but damn it, at SOME point we have to STOP trying to micro-manage the folks we send to DC!

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...Sometimes, I wonder why the hell a lot of these folks BOTHER trying to get things done...

It's become obvious that they don't.

[ken5050]

PKM..let's speculate for a moment...let's say Bush wants to try and stir things up...draw attention to the Dems shenanigans...what better way than for Estrada to withdraw...as you have correctly pointed out, the guy's been in limbo for several years...then Bush delivers the fire and brimstone speech...calls Miguel a "good man, an honorable man"...and makes him a recess appt.....I think it just could be...

[hchutch]

As I said, are you THAT damn sure you have a better idea for the situation in the Senate from Atlanta than Frist does?