Idiot GOP Senate Set to Shaft Estrada?

rushlimbaugh ^ | 2/28/2003 | rushlimbaugh

[TLBSHOW]

I am more frosted at the Democrats for what they're doing to the Constitution vis-à-vis Miguel Estrada's than I am over the anti-war movement. Fox News reported that the GOP planned to call for a cloture vote on Estrada next week knowing they'd lose it. That would effectively amend the Constitution - illegally - to read that you need 60 votes instead of 51 to get a judicial nomination through.

Happily, it turns out the GOP isn't going to call such a vote. The offices of Senators Santorum and Hatch rang up my office on Friday, and said that the Fox story is not accurate. There will be no cloture vote. Hooray! If these Democrats want to filibuster the first Hispanic nominee to the D.C. Circuit Court, let them do it! I know they say there are new rules making a filibuster harder, but so what? And don't tell me that it's not "practical" anymore, because people have to go to the bathroom. That's nothing new.

Force them to get out there and filibuster this eminently qualified man, as rated unanimously by the American Bar Association. Miguel Estrada is just a name to us, but his life is being destroyed here. It's not because he's unqualified; it's because Democrats don't like how he might think. Read George Will's column. Chuck Schumer didn't bother to ask Estrada a single question. He claims not to know any less qualified judge, when in fact he knows less qualified judges who went to the Supreme Court! Just this week, President Bush pledged to stand by Estrada until he was sworn in. We know no other nominee has been asked to give nor should give opinions on issues that may come before the court. Their job is to apply the law, not to make law or let their opinions get in the way of rulings.

These senators have to back Bush and Estrada up. The Democrat attitude is, "We ran Washington for 40 years up until 1994, and Bush is illegitimate despite what the Constitution says about the Electoral College, so he has no right to appoint anyone." These people are treating the Constitution like toilet paper. Calling a cloture vote would overturn more than two centuries of Senate precedent and rewrite the constitutional definition of "advise and consent." We cannot allow that to happen. You have to care about this, folks!

These people aren't Democrats or liberals. They don't believe in the Constitution. They don't believe in individual rights, as affirmed in the 9th Amendment; in sharing power with the states, as described in the 10th Amendment; in free political speech protected in the 1st Amendment and shredded in campaign finance reform. They don't support the right to bear arms provided for in the 2nd Amendment. They don't respect private property rights protected by the 5th Amendment! If there's a blade of grass in the backyard, they call it "wetlands" and take it away! This assault must stop.

Listen to Rush...

(...react to the Fox News story, and reject the notion of a cloture vote by the GOP) (...demand Democrats be made to pay a price for shredding the Constitution)

Read More of Rush's Estrada Coverage… (Rush On A Roll: Anatomy of a Smear) (Rush On A Roll: Want Estrada? Declare Linda Daschle DOA) (The Limbaugh Library: Ken Starr Tips Us Off on Estrada) (EIB A-B: Estrada Qualifications Blow Away Breyer and Ginsburg)

Read the Questionable Fox News Article...

(FoxNews: Republicans Seek to End Debate on Estrada)

Read the George Will Column on Estrada...

(Washington Post: Coup Against the Constitution - George F. Will)

[CWW]

Fox has retrated the story, apparently. The Pubs ran some polls and the Rats are really ticking off the Hispanics. Why invoke cloture when your opponent is shooting himself in the foot!

[TennTuxedo]

The Rats can filibluster Estrada till the cows come home. The nation will see that their obstructionist agenda is not in the best interest of the nation. We all want to see Estrada on the bench. In good time he will be, but lets not blow up in front of the nation.

I think a little patience from the GOP is just what the good doctor ordered.

[Argus]

Personally I'd love to see the Demos still tying the Senate up in an anti-Latino filibuster weeks from now, in the midst of all-out war in Iraq. Let the nation see what their true priorities are.

[Jonez712]

I've heard Rush discuss this topic, and I agree completely. We need the Republican majority in both houses to have the balls to stand up for what is good for our great nation, both in this instance, as well as others.

For example, the GOP leaders weren't even making the Rats stay up through the night to filibuster Estrada. They actually gave them comfort through all this.

If they seek to derail the nomination of a well-qualified Hispanic man, based solely on the fact that he's a conservative, expose them as such, and make them work to maintain this.

[Howlin]

Rush was wrong.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/853849/posts?page=179#179

That was posted at 2:09 PM EST today on this very forum.

Kind of makes you wonder why this article was posted, doesn't it?

[cyncooper]

Kind of makes you wonder why this article was posted, doesn't it?

Yup.

[Howlin]

Is it just me, or does the BIG BOLD HEADLINE not match the article?

Do you see anywhere in that article where it says the GOP is going to shaft Estrada?

[stands2reason]

Damn GOP senators are squeamish about making anything inconveeeenient for "rats....

[TLBSHOW]

This is Rush Limbaugh take on the story.

[LS]

It is a shame that even while Rush was reading this today, there was an article already on the web by Byron York on NRO saying that the Fox story was baseless and that the White House is even more involved than ever in getting Big E confirmed.

We will win this one.

[Howlin]

Damn GOP senators are squeamish about making anything inconveeeenient for "rats....

Where does it say that?

[TLBSHOW]

I really liked what Rush had to say here......

I know they say there are new rules making a filibuster harder, but so what? And don't tell me that it's not "practical" anymore, because people have to go to the bathroom. That's nothing new.

Force them to get out there and filibuster this eminently qualified man, as rated unanimously by the American Bar Association. Miguel Estrada is just a name to us, but his life is being destroyed here. It's not because he's unqualified; it's because Democrats don't like how he might think. Read George Will's column. Chuck Schumer didn't bother to ask Estrada a single question. He claims not to know any less qualified judge, when in fact he knows less qualified judges who went to the Supreme Court! Just this week, President Bush pledged to stand by Estrada until he was sworn in. We know no other nominee has been asked to give nor should give opinions on issues that may come before the court. Their job is to apply the law, not to make law or let their opinions get in the way of rulings.

[Mr. Thorne]

Well, while Rush was on, I was reading the posts here, and there were a couple quoting that article.

Needless to say, I placed calls. To Hatch, Frist, and my own Senators.

All said they're gonna see this through. Twenty minutes after talking to Hatch staffer, Rush says he's getting calls from Hatch office, saying story's wrong.

Oh well. Gave me a chance to suggest the 'shun linda dashle strategy.' Guy at my senator's office said a couple people had suggested that. Who knows?

[Mr. Thorne]

Probably doesn't. I got the impression while watching C-SPAN. Here's Hatch, going great guns, and he slows down to make nice with 'my friends across the aisle.'

I couldn't be a senator. I could NOT be that collegial toward people who would backstab me, and insult my friends and associates for political gain.

I'm doomed, it seems, to the private sector...

[PhiKapMom]

The headline sure does not match the story if you ask me!

I went to the Rush website and sure enough this is the Title -- looks to me like he had started writing the article and had to switch gears when he found out the Fox article was lacking in fact and didn't change the lead in.

Interesting how all of a sudden it ends up on here when the headline was debunked today!

[ez]

The Pubs ran some polls and the Rats are really ticking off the Hispanics.

Where did u see anything about polls? I've been waiting to see polling data on this for weeks and would appreciate any info you have. Thanks.

[aristeides]

I don't understand what the harm would be in calling for a cloture vote. Why not make the RAT senators go on the record as supporting the filibuster?

I don't see why calling for a cloture vote does any more for establishing a precedent than the RATs having this filibuster in the first place.

[Republican Wildcat]

The headline is poor and gives a wrong impression. It does ask a question, to which the answer is apparently, no. Still, Rush's website operators should have come up with something better.

[RJayneJ]

I think that the Dems will cave once the war starts, pretty much like they did with the confirmation of Ashcroft after 9/11 happened.