Senate to Recess without Action on Estrada Nomination

CNSNews.com ^ | Feb.15, 2003 | Christine Hall

[conservativecorner]

recess(CNSNews.com) - Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist Friday announced that the Senate will recess for the President's Day holiday instead of forcing a vote on the judicial nomination of Miguel Estrada.

Speaking at a Capitol Hill news conference Friday, Frist said he will try to force a vote on the nomination of Estrada to the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals after the recess is over and the Senate reconvenes.

The decision to recess the Senate without a vote contradicts what Frist said earlier this week. "We'll stay as late as they would like tonight and tomorrow night," Frist said Wednesday, according to the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. "My expectation is that by the end of this week, and before our recess, and possibly into our recess, we expect what all American people expect and deserve; an up-or-down vote on this outstanding candidate."

Democrats have said they will filibuster the vote on Estrada who, in their view, is reticent about his views and under-qualified. Democrats have said they have the votes necessary to block cloture, which normally ends debate in the Senate and leads to a floor vote on any given issue.

Frist said if "judges are going to be filibustered, not based on qualifications, but...partisan politics, it sets a bad precedent for this Congress and future Congresses.

"I'm willing to be patient to give the Democrats the opportunity to make their case before the American people," said Frist. But, he warned, "I'm willing to stay on this Estrada nomination as long as it takes" to get the full Senate to vote on it.

Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, expressed frustration with court vacancies, many of which have been prolonged by partisan wrangling.

"This is like Groundhog Day every day around here, with everyone getting up and saying the same thing," said Allen, referring to the 1993 movie in which characters repeatedly wake up to the same day. The Senate has been at loggerheads over the nomination since it was brought up eight days ago.

"There are 12 judges allocated to this court (the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals); a third of them are unfilled," said Allen. "What you have is justice delayed, which means justice is denied."

But Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) insisted that it's answers, not more debate, that's needed.

"We don't need more time to debate Mr. Estrada's nomination," said Daschle on Feb. 13. "We need answers from Mr. Estrada. Without those answers, debate is hollow because we lack the basic information we need to make an informed judgment about Mr. Estrada's fitness."

Estrada has not offered specific answers to questions about ideology, saying that doing so could place him in the position of "prejudging" any issue that may come before him in court and would run counter to his "view of the judicial function."

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

"I have to agree with you. Saying one thing and doing another doesn't exactly inspire confidence. I guess the GOP figures it's weekend off is more important than this nomination."

Ouch. The Truth hurts.

[deport]

they are flippers and floppers,,,,,,,,

---

And then there are some RATTY Rat'rs, Pots and Kettles also. Hello pot meet kettle the Ratty Rat'r.

[deport]

Who's gonna pay for these Recess Appointments or are the appointees gonna work for free? Maybe you can fund them....

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Frist ought to leak out why he did this if he doesn't have some kind of plan. Were the RINOs revolting again? Were the rats united enough to pull off this filibuster? Did Frist want time for the debate to percolate? Could it be that the upcoming war would draw all attention away from this issue at this time, so he wanted to postpone it until the war news dies down?

[cynicom]

Frist new motto..."Never do today, what you can put off until tomorrow, or next month"...Frist has really whipped the Senate into action...YAWN..Business as usual.

[MHT]

There's alot of criticism about the Republicans leaving Washington right now but there are other considerations happening. First off, this is Lincoln Day weekend in alot of states and there are many local Republican meetings, dinners, fund-raisers, etc. Getting out of town is complicated by the impending bad weather in the region. Getting back to the districts right now is important in building up war support, economic support, and letting Estrada-supporters know the inside of what is happening in case they are missing it because they are watching the wrong media.

Grass roots support is important to the Bush agenda and getting back to one's roots to build it up at this moment is triple important. The reality is this may be more of a White House play than Frist agenda.

[TEXOKIE]

re your post 27.....

I saw Inhofe speak while Hatch had the floor the other night and he was asking the question that he said he would be asked on Saturday...."what do I tell my hispanic constituents about why this fine candidate for judge is being denied?" And he went on to say something in Spanish. I was really impressed. This guy just wins my admiration more and more. I'm so grateful that we have him and Nickles both here in Oklahoma.

[LS]

Hey braindead. Clever you can think up names. Now work on a real concept about politics.

[Don'tMessWithTexas]

References to Lott are inappropriate. When x42 was in office, Lott was the de facto leader of the GOP. Now GW is in charge. The White House is giving instructions to Frist on how to manage the Estrada matter. If anyone is going to throw in the towel on this, the POTUS is going to be making that decision, not Bill Frist.

[TEXOKIE]

Please look at my post 67!

[LS]

The leader of the Senate is Bush's handpicked guy, and don't think for a minute that every detail of strategy on this, and other issues, was not discussed in advance.

Your, and others', willingness to bash the GOP in the Senate before you know what is happening is regrettable.

I'm not saying you personally, but it was this attitude I heard throughout the election crisis of 2000 ("Why isn't Bush doing 'x'?" "Why doesn't he come out and just claim he is the elected president?"); I heard it again throughout the first weeks after 9/11 ("When are we going to strike? Why don't we just bomb now?"); and I heard it in the 2002 Senate campaign ("Bush's team picked too many 'moderates' who can't get elected.") Every step of the way, Bush has been ahead of these people. At some point, you'd think you would say, "Gee, maybe these guys have a strategy, and since I'M NOT IN ON THE MEETINGS, MAYBE THEY KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T."

[InterceptPoint]

When Senator Inhofe made his speech in Spanish it was timed to lead off the news on Univision and Telemundo which it did

Would either of these generate "national" (US) coverage?

[DDDDaytonNot]

The reality is this may be more of a White House play than Frist agenda.

Bingo

[Otta B Sleepin]

At some point, you'd think you would say, "Gee, maybe these guys have a strategy, and since I'M NOT IN ON THE MEETINGS, MAYBE THEY KNOW SOMETHING I DON'T."

You took the words out of my mouth. I'm thinking the Dems aren't the only ones still "mis-underestimating" the President

[conservativecorner]

good perspective on your part. I know Frist is a good man and leader for the senate, but I'm ready for action on so many fronts that were neglected by the dim-o-crappers while a majority with the help of senator "country club atmosphere" Lott as minority leader.

[conservativecorner]

If you feel strongly about this issue, why not contact your Republican Senators? Here's the link:


http://capwiz.com/townhall/home/

[TLBSHOW]

The democrats as of this moment have no plans to allow this man in.

Frist says one thing and does another, the battle was stopped in the middle and mainstream media is not reporting this. We were on a roll and it was side tracked.

last report was back on the 13th and a story in USAToday on the 14th, Sorry folks you don't take a timeout in the middle of the superbowl and go home....They should of kept the rats talking 24/7 for weeks if needed.

Just my opinion!

google here.

http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?p=Miguel+Estrada

[FITZ]

The democrats as of this moment have no plans to allow this man in.

Could the democrats make their own ads against Estrada's nomination and put them on the same stations? I don't understand why this judge's nomination had to turn into some hispanic thing ---wouldn't he be a judge for all people?

[TLBSHOW]

Its deeper than that, for the rats to allow him in would spell the end for Dashole as rat leader and the Socialist agenda of the modern democrat party. Dashole is being threaten that if he allows President Bush to get this man in he will be removed.

[TLBSHOW]

Bush’s appeals court nominees must not be allowed to succeed, given how much is at stake. Appeals court judges are appointed for life, and in more than 99 percent of the cases they hear, they have the final word on the law and on issues of great importance to Americans’ lives and liberties. Many of Bush’s nominees would turn back the clock on decades of legal and social justice accomplishments.

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=8054

.......

IN OTHER WORDS THE SOCIALIST AGENDA
OF THE MODERN DEMOCRAT PARTY