LIVE THREAD: Estrada Filibuster

http://freerepublic.com ^ | March 3, 2003

[Howlin]

Live stream from C-SPAN

Comments and discussion of the live coverage of the continuing Estrada filibuster.

[jdontom]

If the Cloture vote will take place Thursday there are four DemocRATs that are going to vote for Mr. Estrada, that alone will make news and possibly force other DemoRATs to reconsider their positions.

[PhiKapMom]

I agree with you! Also read an article from NRSC today saying Breaux is really working on Landrieu. Wouldn't it be funny if they held the vote, and we got 60 votes! Not sure some up for re-election want to have their names down for opposing a vote to vote on Estrada!

This is getting more interesting!

[GOPrincess]

Thanks for the tip on the news on the NRSC site. Interesting news item about Breaux. I have bookmarked the site and added my name to the petition while I was there :).

[justshe]

This is getting VERY interesting.

And I think you need to be writing the copy for Fox News!

[Political Junkie Too]

Surrender is the final act, and in Estrada's case, is signaled when the GOP pulls the matter off the floor, but not before

Unless they go 24/7 after the a failing cloture vote they will be pulling from the floor.

Normally, I would agree with you both, however, there is also the tool of the Recess Appointment.

If it gets to the point where the nomination is pulled, then as soon as Congress goes on any vacation, Bush can make a Recess Appointment, and after two years, Estrada will have the judicial record that the Democrats claim he doesn't have now. If, in two years, Bush in his second term re-nominates Estrada again, the Democrats (those who are left) would have to contend with his newly established judicial record.

That, I believe, is the ultimate end-game.

-PJ

[Lancey Howard]

If, in two years, Bush in his second term re-nominates Estrada again, the Democrats (those who are left) would have to contend with his newly established judicial record.

If Estrada was seated by recess appointment, left-wing special interest groups, at the quiet urging of the Democrats, would do their best to bring "controversial" matters before the Circuit Court in order to test Estrada's "judicial philosophy". They would do this to get ammo for the next confirmation hearing, and it almost doesn't matter what Estrada does, the scumbags will spin it to fit their arguments. Plus, they would see a nomination following a recess appointment as an opportunity to avenge Bill Lann Lee. I really hope it doesn't come down to a recess appointment. I also think that the recess appointment strategy would be a loser because it would soften the blow of anti-Latino charges against the scumbags. It would definitely be a lot better politically (for the Republicans) if Estrada was to be sent home empty-handed after getting obstructed from a full Senate vote because of an ignominious filibuster by the scumbags.

[Cboldt]

Bush can make a Recess Appointment . . . in his second term re-nominates Estrada again, the Democrats (those who are left) would have to contend with his newly established judicial record.
That, I believe, is the ultimate end-game.

I respectfully disagree. The principle issue here is Senate process, not Estrada. Either the GOP stands firm, and gets a vote on the candidate, or the GOP caves and permits a minority of Senators to circumvent the "majority advise and consent" role for judicial nominees.

It is somewhat interesting that the process of Presidential nomination, and Senate advise and consent; for judges below the Supreme Court, are called out in legislation, and not in the Constitution. I think the GOP should be taking a look at 28 USC and considering a bit of clarification; memorialized in the law books with the Democrat party being the reason for the change.

[Cboldt]

If you start the thread today, pehaps you could put the date in the title. If the future, it will help us find tidbits, and in the present, it will keep us from posting replies on "no longer LIVE" threads.

LIVE THREAD - Miquel Estrada Filibuster - March 4

[TLBSHOW]

so the fox news story was correct then...

[TLBSHOW]

you mean that vote that everyone here said Fox was wrong about? LOL

[TLBSHOW]

I heard the show again and you were correct and he did review last week first. Congrats for a very good report and no spinning. The way he sounded he isn't comvinced and neither am I. The vote is held and we lose expect the democrat to block everyone they do not want. How is Pickering coming do you know?

[Cboldt]

so the fox news story was correct then...

In a broad sweeping sort of way, it was partly correct.
And it was partly wrong.

It's an exercise for the reader to figure out which part is which. Hint: "calling for the vote" may mean calling for a cloture vote, then again, it might not. Note that once cloture is PASSED (not offered), the matter becomes the SOLE subject of Senate business until an up-or-down vote occurs.

[RobFromGa]

refer to my post #138 for the answer to your question.

[TLBSHOW]

No questions Top Stories

"Last week, in response to Democratic complaints that appeals-court nominee Miguel Estrada has failed to answer questions about his legal views, the White House invited any senator who has doubts about Estrada's views to send him written questions," Byron York writes at National Review Online (www.nationalreview.com).
"The White House asked that questions be sent in by the close of business last Friday, and pledged that Estrada would answer them by Tuesday, March 4. 'He would answer the questions forthrightly, appropriately, and in a manner consistent with the traditional practice and obligations of judicial nominees, as he has before,' wrote White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales in a letter to all 100 senators.
"As of [yesterday] afternoon, the administration had not received any questions from any senators, according to administration sources."
"Now, it is likely that Republicans will argue that when the White House gave Democrats the chance to ask any question of Estrada — something Democrats had said they dearly wanted — Democrats did not respond," Mr. York said.

Hispanic McCarthyism
Rep. Robert Menendez, New Jersey Democrat, and other liberal Hispanics step on dangerous ground by suggesting that conservatives such as judicial nominee Miguel Estrada are not real Hispanics, Anthony Fuentez writes in USA Today.
"Such arguments resemble some of U.S. politics' worst tendencies — racism for one," said Mr. Fuentez, a graduate student in history at the University of Pennsylvania.
"Racism reduces a complex individual personality to a stereotype, as when Harry Belafonte accused Colin Powell of turning his back on the African-American community because he works for the Bush administration. But the argument against Estrada's nomination bears an even closer resemblance to another bad tendency in U.S. politics: McCarthyism," Mr. Fuentez said.
"That virulent strain of patriotism denounced individuals as un-American simply because they held political views or behaved in ways that some self-appointed judges of patriotism despised. In the fight over the Estrada nomination, some Hispanic liberals have embraced McCarthyism's rhetorical style by essentially calling Estrada un-Hispanic."http://www.washtimes.com/national/inpolitics.htm

[TLBSHOW]

WHY LOOK? WE KNOW IT WAS CORRECT IF THEY CALL FOR A



Cloture


The cloture rule–Rule 22–is the only formal procedure that Senate rules provide for breaking a filibuster. A filibuster is an attempt to block or delay Senate action on a bill or other matter by debating it at length, by offering numerous procedural motions, or by any other delaying or obstructive actions. Under cloture, the Senate may limit consideration of a pending matter to 30 additional hours of debate

[Howlin]

I will be glad to do that.

[RobFromGa]

Here's an ABC News link from this morning:

Iraq, Budget May Sideline Estrada Debate

[TLBSHOW]

I am not totally against the vote but you have to understand a 24/7 could wear down the rats so we win right off the bat but as I did say we can use it against them if they vote him down, kinda a ctach 22 here... Because they vote him down will make the rats who care nothing about being on record against him to never let anything pass that The President wants or his people to get in.

To: justshe

I want a 24/7 filibuster

or I want a vote by roll call that will be on record that the democrats are against Miguel Estrada.


111 posted on 02/24/2003 8:52 PM EST by TLBSHOW

[TLBSHOW]

Not if our side would play hardball.

[TLBSHOW]

History Briefing: Filibuster and Cloture

Learn about how the cloture process works on the Senate floor



http://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_index_subjects/Cloture_vrd.htm