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Yea!

Hi everyone! In the previous hour(s):

Sen. Arlen Specter:

"They want, as the minority party in the Senate, full partnership with the President of the United States." Re. appointing judges.

"If the American people want judges confirmed, they're going to have to elect 60 (members) of the President's party."

"We are really heading for extraordinary deadly deadlock in this body."

"It's a Constitutional revolution (going on here)."

"It would be my hope that cooler heads will prevail."

_________

Correction of MY earlier post: Sen. Durbin (not DORGAN) and Sen. Kennedy were the only two Dem. Senators to ask follow-up questions.

Sen. Orrin Hatch:

"I think that this is an abuse of the process."

"It is abuse by the minority."

"We have confirmed 26 Clinton judges who did not have (judicial) experience. It's the phoniest argument I've heard yet!"

"This is a man with every qualification and they haven't laid a glove on him."

"Of the 108 men and women who have served on the Supreme Court, 43 had no prior judicial experience at all."

Sen. Brownback:

"It's my understanding that Mr. Estrada worked for the Clinton administration, for the Janet Reno justice department". (Sen. Hatch) It's highly unlikely that he would receive the support of Seth Waxman if he were a right wing idealogue. Sen. Brownback: "I find it so odd that that would be a charge brought against him when he worked for the Janet Reno Justice Dept."

Sens. Santorum, Nickles, Gregg, Chambliss, Allard, Smith, Warner, Bond, Allen, Hutchison, Kyl, Collins, Sessions, Inhofe, Talent, Graham (Lindsey), Enzi, Santorum, Alexander, chip in with questions to re-state Miguel's impressive personal, educational and legal record, debunk the lies that "Miguel" has a hot temper. Sen. Hatch says, yes, they can ask - "without giving up his right to the floor" - and skillfully answers each and every one. (^:

Re. the Dems. claims that other requests for private memos had been granted: "If they had records they must have been leaked. They were not granted."

"They're (any private memos) not his to release even if he wanted to."

"They just don't like the fact that he is a conservative Republican hispanic."

"If our friends on the other side would prevail...that means no privileges would be respected in the Executive Branch of government."

"Some special interest groups and others that have been criticizing us think all minorities have to think alike."

Sen. Frist: (~9:50PM EST) Summing up what he hoped for the day - robust discussion and THEN a chance to vote.

"As I look around I am delighted to find that just about every Republican desk has a Senator behind it ready to vote."

"I therefore ask unianimous consent that there be an additional 6 hours of discussion on" the nominee...equally divided, proceeding directly to a vote."

"Objection." Reid

Sen. Frist modifies the request - asks that the vote take place by Friday.

Dems. object.

Sen. Frist re-ittereating that there is a critical shortage of judges. Asks that the vote take place within 2 weeks.

Dems. object.

Sen. Hatch: "We have always voted up or down at this point in this process."

Sen. George Allen, summarizes the state of the DC courts,

Sen. Hatch: "I agree that justice delayed is justice denied."

Sen. George Allen summarizes the other problems facing America. Pointing out that Dem. obstruction is the reason.

Sen. Hutchison: "How many votes does it say that we need in the Constitution (for a vote)?"

Sen. Hatch: says a majority - 51.

Sen. Hutchison: "Is it setting a new standard, that we'll have the Constitution subverted (by demanding 60 votes)?"

Sen. Hatch: (Yes.) "It's clearly a double standard."

"You do not have a right to filibuster this man...It's shameful!"

"I think that what's gone on here doesn't deserve consideration." (after being lectured to by the chair for referring to Durbin as "You", not as "Senator."

Sen. Reid wonders who's filibustering because they earlier gave up the floor.

Sen. Hatch calls for yeas and neas on the nomination.

There is a sufficient second.

Sen. Hatch is not willing to give up the floor to Reid.

Sen. Reid tries to claim that there has been 17 filibusters.

Sen. Hatch: "No way!" "There has never been a true filibuster until this one of a circuit court nominee."

"When the Democrats were in control of the judiciary committee, and they had a Dem. President, they said that the ABA was the gold standard." Miguel received the highest rating from the ABA.

"What happens is that when the President nominates a candidate, the ABA does its own investigation"..."Then they determine what kind of a rating to give." "in this particular case..he unanimously received the highest (rating)."

"In each of the cases ( on previous cloture votes) there was (eventually) an up or down vote."

"Isn't it correct that there are many nominees that don't make it out of committee?" Asks Sen. Kyl.

Sen. Hatch: yes, for many reasons. "None of us complained, to my knowledge about Sen. Biden when we had 41 vacancies and 31 holdovers."

Sen. Hatch: "There's only been one true (judicial -higher court, I think) filibuster in the history of this country Sen. Fordice (sp)...it was a bi-partisan filibuster."

"So it's 10:30 at night. That's nothing to me."

"I'm prepared to be here all night."

Sen. Inhofe: asks Sen. Hatch what the meaning of filibuster is, mentions the origins of filibustering to prevent the movement forward of civil rights.

Sen Hatch: "There is no question that this is setting a precident." "This is a terrible, terrible precident!"

"I remember when there were some of us on our side who wanted to filibuster, but cooler heads prevailed."

"I haven't heard one substantive argument against Miguel Estrada...other than "we didn't like his answers."" "Well that's tough! Vote against him!"

"Mr. Bender (the liberal professor who called Miguel "hot tempered" - contradicted by everyone else who knows Miguel) worked for Seth Waxman who rebutted what Mr. Bender said and put his reputation on the line as a Democratic solicitor general."

"Virtually everyone who worked with him gives him high raves."

The Republicans are organized, focused and helping Orrin one by one. It's beautiful!