Blah, blah, blah, blah, abortion, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, wiretapping, blah, blah, blah, mainstream, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, me, I, I, I, blah, blah, blah, blah, Bush, Bush, Bush, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah...
Lieberman is a NO..
Put his vote in the AYE column.
Bet me a burger that Bush flipped Byrd, by offering to rename the Federal Mine Safety Building after him...
Specters asking for unanimous consent request. Giving Ted time to get back from the bar, tho.
A Republican Senator should say "I am deeply 'concerned' by some of my esteemed colleagues having made up their minds before the hearings even started. I am greatly 'troubled' that these Democrats have been advancing the talking points of far out left-wing conspiracy theorist groups with no factual basis in reality. I am tremendously 'disturbed' that this highly qualified, unbiased, fair judicial nominee has been attacked for strictly political purposes regardless of his proven track record of adherence to law and the Constitution. And maybe most disgusting of all is their desire to turn these hearings into their own personal campaign pulpits, rather than doing part of the job they were elected to perform and their insistence for ideological judges that only adhere to leftist points of view regardless of the Constitution, our laws or the wishes of the electorate. Today I am ashamed for the Senate body as a whole!"
FINALLY......really BIG tree ..85+ feet..came down about 4am this morning...we lost all power, phone, cable..no damage to the house..missed it by about 10 feet..but wiped out my fence and mailbox...and blocked the driveway... I would have Freepmailed someone to start the thresd, hads I been able to...just turned the TV on..sheets voted yes?.....amazing...
Aye = 54 Nay = 31
4 GOP yet to commit: 11 DEM yet to commit:
Chaffee _ __/| Bayh Landrieu
Collins \`O.o' Cantwell Lautenberg
Snowe =(_ _)= Conrad Menendez
Stevens U Dayton Pryor
Phhlllt Ack! Dorgan Rockefeller
Sarbanes
DEM Crossover = 3 GOP Crossover = 0
Nelson (NE)
Johnson (SD)
Byrd (WV)
.
Frist goes first. Mentions that Specter had been on the floor and asked for consent to move to the vote on the nominee. Frist also notes that some of the DEMs have expressed an intention to filibuster. Frist reiterates his intention to give plenty of time for debate on the floor, but that he has been unable to obtain a time-certain for a vote from the DEMs.
Frist roughly describes the past 87 days, including some delays relating to hearings. Frist says debate will continue today, tomorrow, Saturday, if necessary; as much time as is needed before taking the vote.
Frist sends a cloture motion to the desk, based on the news that there are DEMs who intend to filibuster the nomination, i.e., withhold permission to enter a unanimous consent agreement.
4:30 PM Monday vote on cloture. Tuesday vote on the nominee, 11:00 AM. No objection.
Reid says no one can complain about having sufficient time. The debate has been dignified, etc. Reid expresses appreciation for assuring that all Senators have been given ample time to talk.
Back to Frist - Senate will be open for as long as Senators want to speak. Reiterates 4:30 PM Monday cloture vote, and 11:00 AM Tuesday vote on the nominee.
Goes on to make the point that the Constitution does not include a super majority requirement to confirm judicial nominees.
Alito is going to be confirmed so what is Frist waiting for?
Let's Vote! Get it overwith so I can watch liberals start jumping from high places.
And he's right, the depressed AYE vote for this nominee is a bad reflection on the DEM party. I doubt they see it, and if they did see it, I doubt they'd care.
Experience as a lawyer practicing Con Law was "short"
No experience as a judge [not a big deal, but ...]
Would expose the executive office to demands for documents relating to all sorts of executive actions.
I don't know if he carried it further, but that "was the President's lawyer" would also have been used against her (in a political sense) for cases that came to SCOTUS that involved action of the executive.
Reiterates the timing of cloture vote, and confirmation votes on Tuesday. Alito, and Ben Bernacke.
Frist expresses frustration at the need to file a cloture motion in order to move the process forward, and compares the 87 days of Alito with the 63 day interval for Clinton's nominees.
Notes that the GOP accomodated DEM requests for scheduling, only to be met with further delay. Concedes that all of the dealy is within the rules. Now schedule to have a vote on January 31st. That means 5 days of floor activity -- plenty of time on the floor including tonight, tomorrow night, Saturday if needed.
Frist predicts that Alito will get the up or down vote that he deserves, on Tuesday morning. "As sure as one can be, around here." Cites public opinion polls that say the nominee should be confirmed.
Business tomorrow starts at noon, resuming consideration of the Alito nomination. Reiterates the timing of cloture vote (Monday), and vote on the nominee on Tuesday at 11:00 AM.
Senate is adjourned.
Aye = 55 Nay = 32
3 GOP yet to commit: 10 DEM yet to commit:
Chaffee _ __/| Bayh Landrieu
Snowe \`O.o' Cantwell Lautenberg
Stevens =(_ _)= Conrad Menendez
U Dayton Pryor
Phhlllt Ack! Dorgan Rockefeller
DEM Crossover = 3 GOP Crossover = 0
Nelson (NE)
Johnson (SD)
Byrd (WV)