hahah, poor powerless liberals...
Posted on 04/18/2005 5:02:38 PM PDT by RWR8189
"You're like Zell Miller without the crack," Jon Stewart once told Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson. Lately, though, it looks like Nelson may be taking hits from the pipe.
Nelson, the Senate's most conservative Democrat, is drafting legislation to give bipartisan cover to Bill Frist's plan to outlaw the filibuster of judicial nominees, known as the "nuclear option." Nelson's proposal would bar the use of the filibuster and allow any Senator to call an up-or-down floor vote on any judicial nominee, even if the Senate Judiciary Committee blocks the nomination.
Essentially, Nelson is doing Frist's controversial bidding for him, at a time when conservative opposition to Frist's plan is rising--from a host of GOP moderates and from two influential right-wing groups, Gun Owners of America and the National Right to Work Committee. "When Bill Clinton was president, we, effectively, in the Judiciary Committee blocked a number of his nominees," John McCain told MSNBC. "I say to my conservative friends, some day there will be a liberal Democrat president and a liberal Democrat Congress." However, the support of one or two more centrist Democrats could resuscitate Frist's plan at the very moment it is dying.
Nelson argues that his party's well-organized resistance to the nuclear option puts red state Democrats in a tough spot. But there's a different between trying to reach consensus and giving the GOP whatever it wants. Just ask North Dakota's Kent Conrad, who recently said of the filibuster: "when judges are way outside of the mainstream, I'm willing to do it." If the president wants bipartisanship, says South Dakota Senator Tim Johnson, he could start by consulting with Democrats on his selections. Further undermining Nelson's rationale is the example of Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota, a state where Bush beat John Kerry by 27 points, who has emerged as one of the most effective critics of this Administration.
If Nelson has his way, Republicans may soon control the entire judiciary. Already Republican appointees hold a majority on 10 of the nation's 13 federal appeals courts. Three more lifetime appointments would give Republicans an advantage on every appeals court except the ninth circuit in California.
In that case, Nelson, nicknamed "Nellie" by President Bush, may earn a new moniker. We suggest Nellienquent.
hahah, poor powerless liberals...
Nuke em Nelson
Good solution. I hope it sees the light of day.
I am willing to live by the words of the Constitution.
The Senate rules have been designed to pervert the intent of the Constitution. In order to follow it, you take your medicine whether it's good or bad.
The Senate, on the other hand, has devised a way to dominate the other legislative branch and even the presidency. They are the 2nd most influential oligarchy undermining our republic....the first being the judiciary.
And, Mr. Frist, be very aware that I will rememember this should you decide to run in the primary in 2008.
What did McCain do in the VietNam War that was so heroic? I KNOW he was a POW for many years, and that's just awful, but it's not heroic, as such, unless he saved a life in prison or something like that. Anyone have details of his heroism?
A bump for Nebraska -- probably driving my dad nuts -- he's 91 and votes dim all the time.
I don't question McCain's patriotism or his heroism, that is just disgusting.
I don't like him as a politician, and he'd probably have to be running against Hillary for me to vote for him, but that doesn't mean he didn't make great sacrifices in the defense of our country as a young man.
Is it possible to get a conversion out of Nelson?...If the Democrats move further and further left, we could see Liberman and Nelson become Independants. (I doubt Republicans)
I didn't queston his patriotism OR his heroism..... if you would have read what I wrote, I asked WHAT HE DID that was heroic. I have NEVER heard the story of how he got that reputation. Do you know?
He was good at crashing planes.
Then Senator Jellyspine, we'll do what we have to do then to prevent that from happening.
Winston Churchill put it best...(and it was a pain in the neck to find the right transcript) "We shall go on to the end... we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength... we shall defend... whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender...
Crashing planes??? He crashed a plane?
McCain is the worst kind of loose cannon....One who takes himself very seriously. He actually is more like the fictional Dan Quayle than Dan Quayle was.
McCain needs to open his eyes Before he pulls the trigger.
He stayed alive in 7 years as POW at the Hanoi Hilton which is more than I could do,but he did nothing like save lives or anything you would normally attribute to heroism. Most of us can agree he deserves some degree of respect,but most days he acts like he is superior to everyone and he is nasty and seems to be playing with the dems and pubbies. I will never forget the look on the well known female reporter's face when he lashed out at her.
(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
Yes, one here in the USA and the other in Vietnam. Anyone can correct me if they like, I am not a Pilot so it does not jump into my head with a clear picture.
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