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G.O.P. Asks Conservative Allies to Cool Rhetoric Over the Court (No Complaining About Gonzales)
NY Times ^ | July 6, 2005 | DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK and CARL HULSE

Posted on 07/05/2005 7:44:32 PM PDT by nj26

The White House and the Senate Republican leadership are pushing back against pressure from some of their conservative allies about the coming Supreme Court nomination, urging them to stop attacking Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales as a potential nominee and to tone down their talk of a culture war.

In a series of conference calls on Tuesday and over the last several days, Republican Senate aides encouraged conservative groups to avoid emphasizing the searing cultural issues that social conservatives see at the heart of the court fight, subjects like abortion, public support for religion and same-sex marriage, participants said.

Instead, these participants, who insisted on anonymity to avoid exclusion from future calls, said the aides - including Barbara Ledeen of the Senate Republican Conference and Eric Ueland, chief of staff to Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader - emphasized themes that had been tested in polls, including a need for a fair and dignified confirmation process.

Mr. Ueland acknowledged that he and others had been working almost since the vacancy occurred last Friday with Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's resignation to persuade conservative activists to steer clear of divisive language.

"Every contact we have with these folks is 'stay on message, stay on purpose,' " Mr. Ueland said. "The extremism of language, if there is to be any, should be demonstrably on the other side. The hysteria and the foaming at the mouth ought to come from the left."

In other calls, emissaries from the office of Harriet Miers, the White House counsel, are urging conservatives to stop discussing individual nominees, especially Mr. Gonzales, whose views on abortion and affirmative action are viewed with wariness by some conservatives. Steve Schmidt, a White House spokesman working on the confirmation, joined some calls, participants said.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: bush; gonzales; scotus; supremecourt
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To: Soul Seeker
I agree that the President isn't the problem on judicial nominees -- the problem has been the Senate. Frankly, I trust the President more than any other President since FDR on this issue -- remember, Reagan nominated Sandra Dee who was praised by Cranston, Kennedy and Metzenbaum. I seriesly doubt the Wingnuts on the Left will be happy with GWB's picks!

And as for the Senate -- recall that SCOTUS has been under expansionist rule since Hugo Black was nominated by FDR in 1937. It's taken a long time to get to the point we are at today. The 'Rats have used every dirty trick and have played chicken with the filibluster. They are running out of options -- proof of that is the recent votes to let Pryor, Brown and Owen through.

81 posted on 07/05/2005 8:24:25 PM PDT by You Dirty Rats (Forget Blackwell for Governor! Blackwell for Senate '06!)
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To: Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Yep, the GOP is going sackless again.

So the NY Times says it and you believe it.

82 posted on 07/05/2005 8:24:35 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: B Knotts

I understand concern, but this is a different era and we're far more educated than we were then that a "Republican" does not equal a "constitutionalist". Bush has given no reason to doubt him on this point. The people circulating the name of Gonzales have no clue what Bush is thinking, they aren't in his close circle. If they were, they wouldn't be talking. The people that know what's on his mind do not leak.

On his record, Bush deserves the benefit of the doubt. Just as you won't be secure if the nominee isn't a 100% known quantity, we know Bush is a known 100% quantity on the issue of Constitutionalist judges. He would have to establish a new precedent than the method he has operated within for more than one term to not deserve a degree of Faith.

The GOP Senate is another matter. They haven't earned any good will. To ask for faith based on their record is unreasonable and I will not tell groups to quiet down all thngs considered.

The only thing I will state is that while they have the right to object to Gonzales, some people owe him an apology for making opposition personal.


83 posted on 07/05/2005 8:25:00 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: nj26
Mr. Ueland said. "The extremism of language, if there is to be any, should be demonstrably on the other side. The hysteria and the foaming at the mouth ought to come from the left."

Wise words indeed. Sounds like the WH has a good strategy for PR-bashing the Dems on this. Let's hope they are ruthless about it.

84 posted on 07/05/2005 8:25:06 PM PDT by montag813
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To: B Knotts

can you name some cses where she went wrong prior to 2000?


85 posted on 07/05/2005 8:25:28 PM PDT by atlanta67
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To: Dreagon
But the name SOUTER is going to haunt the Bush clan until Bush Jr dispels it. The conservatives have a right to be nervous.

At least Souter was balanced with Thomas. Ike named Brennan and Warren. Gawd!

86 posted on 07/05/2005 8:26:19 PM PDT by You Dirty Rats (Forget Blackwell for Governor! Blackwell for Senate '06!)
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To: atlanta67
If he picks Gonzales, I'l lbe mad, but I will wait to see who the nominee iis.

Has it crossed your mind that it would then also be too late to do anything about it?

This is being Pro-Active, not shrill, and the real American conservatives have been sold down the river more than once.
87 posted on 07/05/2005 8:27:33 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: Miss Marple

Miss Marple, you mean you don't get into a frenzy over a story from a source that nobody on this forum trusts about a putative nominee who hasn't been nominated? Sounds like you haven't been getting your Kool Aid.


88 posted on 07/05/2005 8:28:15 PM PDT by speedy
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To: bill1952

the right is being much too public about their opposition.

it makes whomever he chooses look like a tool of the far right.


89 posted on 07/05/2005 8:29:12 PM PDT by atlanta67
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To: bill1952
Your assumption, by saying that you are being pro-active, is that the President will nominate Gonzalez unless you make a lot of noise.

I believe this is the same lack of confidence which said that we wouldn't ever invade Iraq.

90 posted on 07/05/2005 8:29:26 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: nj26
"The Senate is able to walk and chew gum at the same time," he said. "I think we will be fine."

If you say so...

91 posted on 07/05/2005 8:29:45 PM PDT by aposiopetic
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To: Clintonfatigued
It would be wise to at least wait until we know who the nominee is.

And then do what?
Once it's begun, what will you then do?
Ask your congressman to vote against?

Asking people not to air their concerns and beliefs before they might become real is worthy of a Clintonese DUmmie.
92 posted on 07/05/2005 8:32:04 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: All

Look people, what we want is a nominee who is more conservative than O'Connor. Period.

It doesn't have to be a nominee that is going to stand up and throw conservatives red meat by stating publicly that he or she will support all our issues. It doesn't have to be a nominee that has a library of writings on staunchly conservative themes.

It just has to be a nominee who is more conservative than O'Connor. Even a little bit more conservative is a victory. We have GOP senators up for re-election next year from blue states. Rick Santorum is one and he's in for a tough battle. There is no reason to award that seat to a Dem by letting him be painted as an extremist.

What's the call. Is Gonzales more or less conservative than O'Connor?


93 posted on 07/05/2005 8:32:25 PM PDT by Owen
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To: You Dirty Rats

IMO, Republicans were too naive in the amount of damage that could be done by some nominees otherwise they may not have allowed O'Connor's, Kennedy's and Souter's to pass.

This is a different day, a different age, the naivety is gone. And I share your trust of the President. There are those that think because G.W.B. isn't solid on immigration that they cannot trust him on Judicial picks. This is wrong headed. Bush has always been honest about his immigration policy. He was honest about his desire to appoint constitutionalists. One people disagree, one people agreed with. On both he has misled no one and operated as he stated he would.

It is the Senate that fears a fight, the senate that grants the Dems leniacy, the Senate that prefers to be liked rather than right. I understand fear the senate will blow it. I do not understand the hostility to the President at this time.


94 posted on 07/05/2005 8:33:04 PM PDT by Soul Seeker
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To: speedy
LOL! I well remember President Bush, after his nomination in 2000, telling people in Washington "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." He also said that there were some who would jump out of the foxhole at the first sign of trouble.

That is what we are seeing here.

Why people would think that someone who RE-NOMINATED 20 judges who were filibustered in the last session, who nominated people like Janice Rogers Brown, who has always said he would nominate strict constructinists, would suddenly do something irrational.

The President is asking everyone to tone things down and be civil. It is not an unreasonable request.

95 posted on 07/05/2005 8:33:23 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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To: nj26
"emphasized themes that had been tested in polls, including a need for a fair and dignified confirmation process."

Sounds like they've been polling democrats because the above phrase is right from the left's talking points.

President Bush and his advisors don't seem to understand, if they don't get it RIGHT with the Judges, the Republicans are going to lose support AND elections.

NOW is NOT the time for conservatives to be quiet. It's the time for us to speak out LOUD and CLEAR about our preferences.

Does the president and his advisors really think we take our marching orders from them?

96 posted on 07/05/2005 8:36:16 PM PDT by TAdams8591 (Off-the-cuff-comments are NOT CLEAR and CONVINCING evidence.)
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To: atlanta67
Well, thats true, and I totally agree, but it was unnecessary for this statement to come from the GOP, when it simply fans the speculative fire.

We are not simple minded peons who will stifle our concerns because some party hacks demand it.
97 posted on 07/05/2005 8:37:26 PM PDT by bill1952 ("All that we do is done with an eye towards something else.")
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To: bill1952
Asking people not to air their concerns and beliefs before they might become real is worthy of a Clintonese DUmmie.

It's wise to figure that the president might be considering Gonzales and that a fulling airing of concerns is in order.

It's not wise to figure that the president is considering Gonzales and that we should be burning bridges based on such.

Don't you agree?

98 posted on 07/05/2005 8:38:16 PM PDT by FreeReign
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To: jackbenimble
"Time to step up the rhetoric against Gonzelez."

Exactly!!!

99 posted on 07/05/2005 8:38:27 PM PDT by TAdams8591 (Off-the-cuff-comments are NOT CLEAR and CONVINCING evidence.)
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To: Miss Marple

One thing Bush has been good on is Judges, so I think he will make a good choice, which probably mean he will disapoint me yet again. But I will hold me fire until he makes his appointment.


100 posted on 07/05/2005 8:39:33 PM PDT by jpsb (I already know I am a terrible speller)
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