Posted on 05/30/2005 11:31:26 AM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
The fragile compromise that averted a Senate showdown over judicial filibusters last week deliberately left unanswered the crucial issue likely to be at the heart of a debate over a future Supreme Court vacancy: Can Democrats filibuster a nominee on the grounds that he or she is too conservative without triggering the "nuclear option"?
Republicans have argued that, if Priscilla R. Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William H. Pryor Jr. -- three of President Bush's nominees to the appellate courts who had been attacked by Democrats as out of the mainstream philosophically -- were suddenly given a filibuster-proof stamp of approval by the agreement, then no Bush nominee for a Supreme Court vacancy should face the threat of a filibuster because of judicial philosophy.
Whether that criterion falls outside the bounds of the "extraordinary circumstances" cited in the agreement as the only basis for judicial filibusters can be answered only by the seven Democrats and seven Republicans in the "Gang of 14" who negotiated and signed the agreement. The group, however, consciously avoided any serious bargaining on that critical point during their week of face-to-face discussions...
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
extraordinary circumstances = anyone who has an even remotely conservative viewpoint
Um, I'm guessing that being pro-life is an extraordinary circumstance. Pricilla Owen was just a bone they threw our way.
What are ‘extraordinary circumstances’? Thinking it's OK to execute killers and wrong to kill babies.
any vote on a USSC justice
After all, it happens so infrequently, it is by definition extraordinary. I'm talking DimSpeak, you understand.
Anytime Bush nominates someone other than a liberal democrat.
"extraordinary" depends on the dmeoncRATs call.
Interesting. If the conservatives filibustered a liberal minded Bush nominee why would that not be an extraordinary circumstance?
conservatism .
I am still urging Frist, via email and by phone, to go ahead and exercise the Constitutional Option ASAP. We're gonna need it anyway for the SCOTUS nominee(s). May as well get it out of the way.And if the seven RINOS know what's good for them, they'll sit down and STFU.
Ravenel/2008
Reid wants to filibuster Haynes and Kavanaugh
Reid wants to filibuster Saad and Myers
And the following thread describes the qualities of some of the nominees:
What you need to do is urge Reid to filibuster a nomination, to have a minority of Senators refuse to vote on it. The GOP has no reason to use the Constitutional Option if the DEMs agree to vote on the nominations.
"extraordinary circumstances" =
Just the fact that a seat on the SC will be open for a Semi-Conservative president to fill.
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