Senate Panel Rejects Pickering

Yahoo/AP ^ | March.14,2002 | Jesse J.Holland

[Reagan Man]

WASHINGTON - The Democratic-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Thursday to kill the nomination of Judge Charles Pickering to the appeals court, handing President Bush a stinging defeat in a racially-charged confirmation battle.

In a series of roll calls, the panel also snubbed Bush's request to allow a vote in the full Senate on Pickering, a 64-year-old Mississippian with more than a decade on the bench.

[AmishDude]

Right. They don't get too many of these. Plus, they want to stall nominees in committee. These are partisan, safe Democrats -- they can afford to lose a little electoral support -- but they need to make the $$$ donors happy.

Now, as the nominees get more conservative and younger (and have less of a paper trail) the other Democrats will be begging the Judiciary committee ones to pass the nominees so the stink doesn't rub off on them.

[GB]

Again, a big amen. The Dems badly, badly, BADLY underestimated G.W. Bush as a politician and a leader ... although I know he's alienated some folks in this venue because he's not been a 100 percenter on a lot of things. I'm not totally pleased with him either, but what's the alternative? There is none, save falling on one's sword like King Saul if you can't get 100 percent purity, but I love this country too much to do that.

Sorry, I got off on a tangent. I think the Dems badly underestimated Bush and see that he has the skills and the backbone to take them on and that the American people have taken to him, and they're scared and they're desperate and they're backed into a corner and they're probably ready to fight to the death with no quarter. So there's no telling what they'll do, so yes, we need to act as if we're in a war with them.

[Brundledan]

---"You will find some FReepers who will support your position, but there are many who will disagree with you. Check out this entiire thread. No one blames Bush for Pickering not getting nominated. After all Daschle and the Dems control the Senate and the committees. It's pretty hard to get a floor vote when the Senate leader says, NO WAY!"---


Oh, I completely agree - Daschle and the committee Democrats have once again displayed themselves as the small, intolerant slimebags they are.

But my point is, who knows how this would have turned out if Bush had fought for his nominee from the beginning? If he'd taken his case for Pickering straight to the public from day one, instead of throwing him to the wolves, and then meekly withdrawing from the fight he had to know would ensue? This isn't the first time he's displayed this kind of cowardice - recall that he all but abandoned Linda Chavez, and barely even spoke a word in defense of his nominee for Attorney General when that nominee was being raked over the coals!

The Dems are pushing President Bush around because they know they can. It's what bullies do to those who show weakness. What happened to Pickering today only reinforces that notion.

If George W. Bush knows what's good for him - and the country - he had better grow a spine, quick. Right now, I'm even angrier at him than I am at the Dems.

-Dan

[Timesink]

This site has political odds. Claims 98% accuracy rate.

Yeah, but it doesn't say as of when. I'll bet that 98% self-given rating only applies to the predictions it makes the day before the election. You can be sure it has nothing to do with the odds they're throwing around before most states have even had their primaries.

I see two "slightly favoreds" for the Rats, one even, and one Rat favored. In March. To me, that makes at least three of the four ripe for the picking. Remember, overall the voters' support for Congressional Democrats is trending downwards, and it's only going to keep going that way as the rats keep on pulling stunts like this, the war gets more intense, and the economy recovers (for which Bush will get the credit).

[CaptBlack]

Bush was pre-occupied with the WaR on Terrorism? Maybe?

That's the weak excuse. A president needs to be able to do more than one thing at a time. It's not like he's shouldering each and every decision of each and every step in the war with no let up, no respite to do anything else. He made time to yuk it up with Vincente Fox. He made time to throw out a pitch at the World Series, he could have made time easily to stand up for this guy.

He made a miscalculation, plain and simple. He thought he could get this guy through. Now, I trust, he knows better and will appoint an even MORE conservative judge and kick some serious butt if they start this nonsense again.

[madison46]

Praise the lord, but pass the money or the Dems will NOT be held accountable. Give to your GOP senator or the GOP senatorial committee. gop.org

I'm dreamin' as well

[madison46]

I know. Also, 98% isn't much. I could do that by picking incumbents. They win 95-97% of the time anyway.

Of those I listed, there are GOP'ers in similar situations: Ark., OR, NH and maybe CO.

[GlesenerL]

Don't even float another nomination until Republicans retake the Senate!

Then if they filibuster, ram 'em.

[agrace]

Don't forget as a young Senator he had to resign from the Intelligence committee for giving classified material to a reporter.

Doesn't Rush call him Leaky for that reason?

[oldvike]

Your post makes quite a bit of sense. I guess we'll know for sure how conservative he is when/if Campaign Finance Reform makes it to his desk.

[kayak]

Re Jeffords jumping ship: And with a campaign financed by Republicans, too.

That's one reason I am hesitant to be too eager for Miller to change parties now .... the same argument could be turned around and aimed at him since he ran as a Dem, in a campaign financed by Dems.

The other reason I think he serves a good purpose as a Dem is that as such, he can castigate his fellow Dems and not be accused of being a card-carrying member of the VRWC. Criticism from the Republicans is snickered at but criticism from a Dem has some sting to it.

[clintonh8r]

The blame for this lies squarely with the Republican Party, specifically the Florida party. Here's why.

Connie Mack, a respected and popular senator, decided not to run for re-election because of health concerns. The Republicans ran a weak candidate, Bill McCullum, who is a good man but a weak candidate. He lost resoundingly to Bill Nelson, a tinhorn who Mack would have beaten like a toy drum. So, this resulted in a two vote swing; one less Pubby, one more RAT.

Why am I pissed about this? Well, it's a lesson in why we're called the stupid party. If Connie Mack had run, he would have won. Then, after being sworn in, he could have resigned (health reasons) and Jeb could have appointed another Republican to replace him. There is a good chance that Jeffords would have stayed in the party because there would have been no incentive for him to go to THE minority party. The fact that he rarely voted with his party is irrelevant. WE WOULD CONTROL THE COMMITTEES! If the roles had been reversed you can be sure the RATS would have played it this way because they're ruthless and NOT stupid.

[Timesink]

Mrs. Carnahan would NEVER have been allowed to be seated as a Senator if she was a Republican ! The Republicans should have offered their condolences but should not have GIVEN AWAY a Senate seat.

I was always under the impression that the Senate cannot refuse to seat someone simply because they don't like them; they have to have some sort of legitimate argument as to why the person is unfit to serve. Thus, when Ashcroft decided not to contest the election and Carna-HAM's appointment, the Senate had no legitimate legal reason to consider refusing to seat her.

Anyone know if I'm right on this?

[be131]

Aren't the Democrats the ONLY ones to not let a nominee make it to the floor? Bork, Pickering..and someone else?

Actually, Bork did receive a floor vote. He was rejected 58-42.

[Timesink]

If Connie Mack had run, he would have won. Then, after being sworn in, he could have resigned (health reasons) and Jeb could have appointed another Republican to replace him.

Well, what were his health problems, exactly? If he, or his doctors, felt he was too ill to serve, he was almost certainly too ill to campaign. I'd like the Senate in GOP hands too, but I'm not going to literally risk my life to achieve it when there are a million other ways to try wrestle control back.

[Bob J]

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[gov_bean_ counter]

We all must come to the realization that no amount of pressure from the President would have changed a thing. One thing is certain, though. The battle lines have been clearly drawn and it GW and the Pubbies who have the ammo. But what to do? I see a vote on CFR getting pushed closer to the recess. If they pass it with less than ten days before the recess, pocket veto. Tit for tat. The Democrats also set the stage for recess appointments. Bush can point to Chuckie's statements as proof that the Dems are more interested in politics than national security, the rule of law, etc, etc. Battles vs wars. Dems may have won this battle, but the war is turning against them.

[Timesink]

Judgeships are life time appointments. The recess appointments can only serve for one year.

One year from now the Rats will not be in control of the Senate.

[clintonh8r]

Well, it's a year and a half after the election and thankfully he's still around. The campaign wouldn't have been that taxing. Had he run, the RATs would have put up a sacrificial lamb instead of a party heavyweight. I stand by my theory.

[Wphile]

God, I hope you are right! The Dems in the Senate need to be crushed.