Senate Democrats Threaten to Block More Bush Nominees

NY Times ^ | March 26, 2004 | DAVID STOUT

[neverdem]

Check Chucky. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black. What's Constitutional about a supermajority filibuster?

[Maigrey]

I see the usual suspects making their Friday afternoon whine session.

[SCHROLL]

Screw 'em. Recess appoint every damn vacancy that there is left. They want to play hardball? Make them sit in DC and confirm judges instead of being out on the campaign trail.

[11th Earl of Mar]

Duck the Femocrats!

[My2Cents]

Precisely. Eff 'em.

[My2Cents]

At least recess appointments are CONSTITUTIONAL!

[kellynla]

I too have two words for the 'Rats..."Recess Appointment"

[I still care]

The administration needs to tie together liberal judges appointed by Democrats, with gay marriage and the pledge case.

[Gringo1]

""These actions not only poison the nomination process," the minority leader, Senator Tom Daschle, Democrat of South Dakota, said. "They strike at the principle of checks and balances that is one of pillars of American democracy."

This from the guy who invented and then perfected the poisoning of the process.

[OldFriend]

Pity party for the dems!! BOO HOO.......followed by LOLOLOL

[gatorgriz]

Up-Chucky Schumer; the living, breathing, defintion of pond slime; the kind of pond slime even bleach won't kill... The skid mark in humanities shorts...

The unwanted relative who won't leave... The very sight of this man revolts me.

[Argus]

Charles Schumer is a pustule on the buttocks of the goddess of Justice.

[Califelephant]

"The administration needs to tie together liberal judges appointed by Democrats, with gay marriage and the pledge case."

Couldn't say it better myself!

[CyberAnt]

Aren't they pitiful! I love it! If they keep this up - the President's office will not be the only place where we have a landslide.

[metoooo]

bush get ready for the next recess and make recess appoints of all those not approved...btw when is the next recess?

[BreitbartSentMe]

Senator Charles E. Schumer, Democrat of New York, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, called Mr. Bush's use of recess appointments "a finger in the eye of the Constitution."

If Dubya really wants to stick it to him, he'll recess appoint either Judge Bork, or Ken Starr during the next recess. I'd pay good money to see that!!!

[TheConservator]

The President should immediately give a national speech in which he absolutely calls the Democrats on this threat. The speach should address the fact that recess appointments are specifically provided for in the Constitution, have been made by every modern president, are necessary because of the dim's refusal to provide consent as required by the Constitution, etc. As others have suggested, he could also tie this into judicial activism, the pledge case, the gay marriage issue, etc.

The dim's can either back down (in which case they look like fools), or follow through with their no votes on nominees threat. In the latter case, the Republican's should exercise the "nuclear option."

Frist can simply direct the Clerk of the Senate to schedule nominees before the full Senate for an up or down vote. He can do this on the grounds that, to the extent the Senate rules require a supermajority to pass the nominee to a full vote, they are in violation of the direct and specific constitutional requirement that the Senate provide affirmative advice and consent with respect to the President's judicial nominations.

The dim's could challenge Frist's ruling. But because this would be a challenge to the chair's interpretation of the rules, the issue would be resolved by a simple majority vote--in which the Republicans, if they stick together, could prevail.

Will it happen? I am not holding my breath.

[sonofatpatcher2]

WELL... W should just appoint judges out the yang everytime the Senate goes out!

[lonevoice]

Senate Democrats threatened today to block all of President Bush's judicial nominations unless the White House promised not to name any more judges while Congress was away.

Like they wouldn't block the president's nominations anyway. Riiight.

[Principled]

Bush should say out loud that he won't recess-appoint any judge who has been given an up-or-down vote in the Senate.

But that not allowing a vote will always lead to a recess appointment.