Posted on 11/04/2005 7:05:43 AM PST by pabianice
The Senate will not conduct Supreme Court confirmation hearings for federal Judge Samuel A. Alito Jr. until next year, Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter announced yesterday.
A final confirmation vote by the full Senate is scheduled tentatively for Jan. 20, making it the longest confirmation process since that of Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991.
Mr. Specter's timetable envisions five days of hearings before the judiciary panel, starting Jan. 9, followed by a committee vote on Jan. 17.
"The White House wanted [Judge Alito's confirmation] before Christmas," Mr. Specter said yesterday. "It just couldn't be done. We have to do it right; we can't do it fast."
Although the White House had sought a faster schedule, spokesman Steve Schmidt said the administration had "great confidence in Chairman Specter to manage the extremely complicated process of moving a nominee to the Supreme Court through the U.S. Senate."
But based on comments yesterday by centrist Democrats, Judge Alito does not appear headed toward bitter hearings like Justice Thomas.
"He certainly got it off to a good start," Sen. Mark Pryor, Arkansas Democrat, said yesterday after meeting with Judge Alito. Mr. Pryor is among the "Gang of 14" who can determine whether the "extraordinary circumstances" exist that warrant a filibuster against a nominee.
"I don't see any extraordinary circumstances," Mr. Pryor said. "I don't expect any. But then again, things can change rather quickly, and I'll continue to be looking for those."
That group of seven Democrats and seven Republicans who crafted a deal in May to break the Democratic filibusters against President Bush's appeals-court nominees met yesterday morning for the first time since Judge Alito's nomination on Monday.
"No, I don't see anything," Sen. Joe Lieberman, Connecticut Democrat and Gang of 14 member, said
(Excerpt) Read more at insider.washingtontimes.com ...
What are the senators doing for the next two months? If they have something more important than the confirmation of a supreme court justice, could somebody tell me what it is?
And if they are not going to work for the next two months,
but just party (Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years), then
why should we have to pay them for those two months?
Before January?
And upset the poor widdle Senators' holiday vacations?
No way!
[/sarcasm]
This wouldn't happen if we had a Republican majority in the Senate...
Oh, wait.
The Dems want Sandra Day O'Connor around as long as possible. There must be some issues before the court that they want her to decide, not Alito.
"Can someone explain this delay to me?" Hoping Soros, Larry Flint, or someone with the Clinton's FBI files can find something. Isn't Spectre pro-choice? He seemed happy with Miers.
Can someone explain this delay to me?
So is it possible to do a recess appointment to SCOTUS?
If so, GW could threaten it in order to get these lardbutts
moving.
Bill Frist had his feelings hurt and his eyes are red from sobbing?
Yeah. The elongated process is in hopes that little by little they can undermine this nomination. Look for the 'Gang' to break up at the last minute. Also, I'll bet we can expect a last minute witness a la the Thomas fiasco (Can't remember her name - His lying assistant).
I wonder about that, too.
""The White House wanted [Judge Alito's confirmation] before Christmas," Mr. Specter said yesterday. "It just couldn't be done."
It couldn't be done because Specter is Leahy's lapdog. Leahy wanted for it to be next year so badly, and even waived off Specter's January 2, 2006 starting date. Leahy and his liberal aliies simply want as much time as possible for dirt digging. If we had a real conservative, maybe Sam Brownback, as the chairman, the hearings would have started in mid-December.
Why oh why did Bush endorse this loser over Pat Toomey?
"Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter" was a Republican last time I checked.
It's because Congress will be on vacation most of Nov & Dec
They are allowed to take vacation time .. just the President isn't allowed
So is it possible to do a recess appointment to SCOTUS?
One word - Bork
Yeah, a RINO.
Not a bad theory, that. I may want to wander over and take a gander at their calendar.
Ayotte vs. Planned Parenthood of Northern New England.
It is scheduled for Nov 30. They want O'Connor to hear the case, and hopefully, delay Alito's confirmation long enough for her to rule.
Not in this case, because O'Connor hasn't actually left the Court yet. She is waiting until her replacement is confirmed.
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