Posted on 02/28/2003 5:57:59 PM PST by 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)
Did Rush say the Fox story was wrong? Can you answer that simple question? Huh.....
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!
Boy, you are now continuing to call Rush Limbaugh a liar, you do realize that, don't you?
Frist must make them conduct the filibuster Strom Thurmond-style. Make the Democrats take to the floor. Day and night, a nonstop filibuster. Frist should make the filibuster the only item on the Senate agenda, allowing no other business to take place until Estrada gets an up or down vote on the Senate floor.
I agree with this too, you are making real progress hear (just don't mention R--H or L--T again and you might make it. If you would stay away from all four-letter surnames in your posts you might be cured for good).
Think of it as Defensive Posting.
I said at least twice now that I saw Sen. Frist myself. It was on Fox. Yes, there's a tape. And on it he pledges to get Estrada confirmed.
You seem intent on ignoring this information.
Main Entry: ac·cu·rate
Pronunciation: 'a-ky&-r&t, 'a-k(&-)r&t
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin accuratus, from past participle of accurare to take care of, from ad- + cura care
Date: 1596
1 : free from error especially as the result of care <an accurate diagnosis>
2 : conforming exactly to truth or to a standard : EXACT <providing accurate color>
3 : able to give an accurate result <an accurate gauge>
synonym see CORRECT
I couldn't reconcile that with President Bush's commitment to Estrada conformation earlier. I assumed it was to lull the Dems into a false sense of security. I assume they are continuing to develop strategy.
The big wildcard, and here's what I think is going on: Bush knows when Gulf War 2 begins, we don't. Obviously, to me at least, you don't run a filibuster during a War. I would expect the GOP to force them to begin a filibuster shortly before the beginning of the initial attack.
To continue the filibuster after an attack would then be very UNPATRIOTIC since it is so political in nature.
Since I have demonstrated, using the National Review, that no vote was ever scheduled, no cave ever contemplated, plus cited numerous Senators and the President prior to Rush's show airing, TLBSHOW's contention has been PROVED demonstrably false. Yet he persists in repeating himself over and over and over in the face of proof positive of numerous errors in the Fox story. And the timing of my and others' citations dating to before Rush opined and could have been an influence on the course of events.
Frankly, I am shocked at Rush staking his opinion on one article. As I say again, most of us used MULTIPLE sources that all point to these undeniable truths: No vote on cloture was scheduled, and certainly no cave by the Republicans was in the works.
Oh, I am sure that Rush has been unable to sleep for days already. Frist and Bush too for that matter. They told me themselves this morning when we jogged together.
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