Posted on 05/25/2005 12:01:41 PM PDT by JZelle
The arithmetic tells the story. The Democrats won the battle over who gets to shape the federal judiciary. In both tone and substance of their rhetoric, the Democrats believe they won, and who can argue with them? The Republican leadership is subdued, as befits a losers' locker room. The Republicans will pay dearly for the events of Monday night, when seven Democratic and seven Republican senators took over the leadership of the Senate, for a long time to come. Since the Republicans occupy the White House and command what ought to be a solid Senate majority of 55 members, this should have been no contest. But for the sixth and seventh Republican defections, the GOP would have had a rare, even historic, opportunity under the Constitution to nominate and approve, in up-or-down votes, highly qualified judges for the nation's highest courts. Because John McCain, John Warner, Lincoln Chafee, Lindsey Graham, Susan Collins, Olympia Snowe and Mike DeWine abandoned their leaders in the Senate and snubbed the president, that historic opportunity was lost. The deal immediately affects five "pending" appellate-court nominees. The agreement would allow floor votes to proceed for three: Priscilla Owen for the 5th Circuit, Janice Rogers Brown for the D.C. Circuit and William Pryor for the 11th Circuit. The deal immediately dooms the nominations of two others, William Myers III for the 9th Circuit and Henry Saad for the 6th Circuit, by permitting the seven Democratic senators to continue their party's filibusters against them. In addition to these five, Democrats had filibustered five other appellate-court nominees during the 108th Congress, three of whose names were subsequently withdrawn. Democrats threatened to filibuster half a dozen others.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Now we know who to apply the pressure to that flipfloped. They showed themselves as to who they are and made themselves the target.
The question is, if push came to shove, and the vote was before the 7 Gopers on changing the rules, would 2 of the 7 have voted for the rule change or not?
The hope is that the Dems will do something stupid, allow 2 or 3 of the 7 to say the Dems broke the deal, then vote on the rule change.
Or make them fillibuster and shut the Govt down THEN vote on the change.
" the Democrats believe they won"
No, the Democrats know they won.
The deal just forced out into the open a truth which a lot of people have been avoiding up until now - there are only 45-48 "real" Republicans in the Senate. Until we get to 51, things like this are going to keep happening.
I know where the ninth circuit is, but where's the 6th? Certainly the ninth needs help. My guess is that there is a lot of strategy on the part of the liberals in this little deal. They really need to control only a couple of circuit courts to make their way to the Supremes, as long as they hold sway over five of the Supremacists.
The Dims have a firmer control over their party, than does the GOP.
We are seeing the "Big Tent" at work. Notice, how no one ever asks for a Dim Big Tent.
They showed themselves as to who they are and made themselves the target...
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Fire all torpedos. Sink these freakin' losers. And let McLame be at the head of the line.
We won't know who won until Frist pushes all the judges to a vote. The Dems will have to allow it or another deal will have to be cut. As of now, this moment, the only loss accrued to either side is to the Dems. Owen was confirmed this morning.
Bullsh*t. We won.
two dems voted yea
48 + 2 (out of 14) + VP = GOP Victory
If you think so.
The liberal "Republicans" got together with the Democrats to continue the blocking of conservative judges. It is as simple as that.
Just don't blame it on the stupid party. Blame it on the "Two-Party Cartel' with 2 factions that are owned & run by the elites. These elites tell thme how to vote & set these circumstances up when the big issues hit the votes. Yea, we conservatives get a small bone throw to us at times but not on big issues. I guarantee that if there were 80 (R) senators there would be 30 moderates at least. The problem with the elites is that they never figured that the pubbies could get the majority so that's where this battle becomes blurred. And also I have stated since GW was elected that there would be NO true conservative Supreme Court when he leaves. Fits right into this theory & it will be fact in 3 yrs.
Do the math. A "Small Tent" would have, at most, 48 Republican senators, leaving the Democrats in the majority and controlling the senate outright. Is that your preference?
It appears that there isn't much of a difference, now.
And John McCain is lead Rino... again.
Folks, look at the scoreboard. On Sunday we had no judges confirmed. Today we have one. How can that be construed as falling behind?
6th: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Tennessee. So what are the cases pending here that the liberals need to control? Or could this be about future plans for lawsuit elections? Is this a particularly liberal court?
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