Posted on 11/04/2005 11:40:32 AM PST by CarlEOlsoniii
WASHINGTON — President Bush (search) said Friday that he is disappointed he won't get a new Supreme Court justice by Christmas as he wanted.
Senate confirmation hearings for Bush's Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito (search), are set to begin Jan. 9, with the intention of a final confirmation vote on Jan. 20. The president had called for a pre-Christmas confirmation for the conservative judge.
"I'm disappointed in the date but happy they do have a firm date for his confirmation hearing," Bush said while in Mar del Plata, Argentina, for the 34-nation Summit of the Americas.
The president plugged his nominee, whom he announced Monday as his pick to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor (search), a swing vote on contentious issues such as abortion and affirmative action. Alito is Bush's second nomine for the job; White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination last week after withering criticism from conservatives.
"Sam Alito Jr. is an incredibly intelligent, well-qualified person who should be on the court," Bush said.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Actually, through a recess appointment, Alito wouldn't have to have a confirmation hearing until the new congress convenes in 2007.
...way to fight for that nominee Mr. President and Mr. Frist.
Exactly!
Hopefully W is saving the recess apointment for summer 2007, when Darth Vader Ginsburg steps down and he wants to avoid the Janice Rogers Brown fight!
Problem is, a recess appointment would just about destroy any chances Alito would have of getting a permanent appointment. Even the GOP senators would probably consider that to be a complete slap in the face to them and their precious Senate, and they wouldn't even consider voting him on to the Court.
We're not to that point yet.
Bush could have avoided this by naming Alito in the first place instead of the egregious Harriet Miers. So don't go blaming Specter for a problem the President made for himself.
I didn't suggest it as an option that should be taken, just pointed out the poster was off by 1 year as to when hearings would be held.
Maybe Spector is just providing Leahy time to go home to Vermont and sit under a shade tree to read Alito's writings.
Yep - my apologies. Though I have seen the recess appointment idea floated quite a few times. For the reasons I outlined and others it's a really lousy idea.
I'm coming to the conclusion that hitlary and crew have the FBI files (and the goods) on every one of these guys and they are blackmailing the h*ll out of them!!
Once again the democrats are shooting themselves in the foot! They have now pushed this nomination into AN ELECTION YEAR and if they try to filibuster him, then it will be prime material for all republicans seeking to oust a sitting democrat! Who IS the stupid democrat giving out this advice? As for the Specter, he's a worthless piece of dung sitting in the judiciary chair. And to think we could have had him tossed and my senator, Jon Kyl would have been the next senior senator to chair that committee!
They have attentions spans just long enough punch in the cook time on a microwave and hit cook. And then they complain that it is taking too long.
Once again everyone, recess appointments are only for Executive Branch positions that require approval from the Senate. There are NO - Nada "recess appointments" in regards to the Judicial Branch, sorry everyone - that is what the Constitution requires.
tuck
In bargaining you ask for a price you know is too high, and when they counter with something lower, you kick the dust and accept... But never tell that what you accepted was still higher than what you expected.
I believe you are mistaken. I am pretty sure Bush has used it to appoint at least one judge. Someone correct me if I am wrong.
You're corrected - sorry you are wrong - as indicated by the number of Circuit Court Judges that were (and are) being fillibustered in the Senate - i.e. Brent Kavanaugh - currently still stuck in the Senate vortex awaiting confirmation to the DC Court of Appeals.
tuck
You get it -- some of these folks on here don't have a clue. They still have budget bills to clear up etc. before adjourning. I think the first week upon their return to D.C. is pretty fast myself.
Also, a little digging found that 2 chief justices of the supreme court and 6 assoc. justices were recess appointed.
But then I also found something saying 16 judges have been recess appointed to the supreme court, but it didn't provide any names.
So, in conclusion, judges can be recess appointed. Even to the Supreme Court.
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