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Senate Democrats Threaten to Block More Bush Nominees
NY Times ^
| March 26, 2004
| DAVID STOUT
Posted on 03/26/2004 4:39:17 PM PST by neverdem
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March 26, 2004
Senate Democrats Threaten to Block More Bush NomineesBy DAVID STOUT
 ASHINGTON, March 26 — 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.
"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." 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." Five weeks ago, President Bush used a Congressional recess to install William H. Pryor Jr., the Alabama attorney general, in a federal appeals court seat to get around a Democratic filibuster that had blocked his nomination. Mr. Pryor will be able to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit, based in Atlanta, until the end of the next session of Congress — meaning sometime in the fall of 2005. The Pryor appointment was the second time this year that Mr. Bush used a president's power to make appointments when Congress is not in session to name judges directly to the bench and thus skirt the Senate confirmation process. In January, Mr. Bush named Charles W. Pickering Sr., whose nomination had also been blocked by Senate Democrats, to a seat for the Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, based in New Orleans. He, too, will have to step down before many months, unless there is a huge shift in the Senate and he is able to win confirmation. "We will be clear," Senator Daschle said today. "We will continue to cooperate in the confirmation of federal judges, but only if the White House gives the assurance that it will no longer abuse the process and that it will once again respect our Constitution's essential system of checks and balances." President Bush and his chief spokesman, Scott McClellan, were in the Southwest today and thus not ready to respond immediately to the Democrats' move. Senator Bill Frist, Republican of Tennessee, the majority leader, called the tactic "posturing" and told reporters no administration would rule out recess appointments. Senate Democrats have blocked several of Mr. Bush's nominations on grounds that his choices are out of the judicial mainstream and have shown an insensitivity to civil rights. Mr. Bush has said the Democrats are playing politics and in so doing thwarting honest, highly qualified people.
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TOPICS: Breaking News; Constitution/Conservatism; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia
KEYWORDS: daschle; dems; federaljudges; judicialnominees; obstrictionists; senatedemocrats
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To: Graymatter
You would never know without a scorecard, that the majority are Republicans.A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Sadly, included in the Republican Senate majority of 51 are some pretty weak lnks: Chaffee, Snowe, Collins, Specter, McCain...
41
posted on
03/26/2004 8:16:58 PM PST
by
possible
To: Principled
Very good idea. You should send it to President Bush and his advisors.
To: neverdem
"finger in the eye of the Constitution"; a foot needs to be planted up the asses of Shumer, Dashle and the other obstructionist Democrats in the Senate. Effem!
To: TheConservator
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. Yes, but there could come a time in a Democrat administration when a Republican supermajority is the only gate left on the highway to hell.
44
posted on
03/26/2004 8:25:30 PM PST
by
FreedomCalls
(It's the "Statue of Liberty," not the "Statue of Security.")
To: Bush_Democrat
OOOOHHHH, me too; there ain't enough cows, goats and sheep to make the cheese necessary to handle the whine that would create. Where do I pay up?
To: TheConservator
if they stick together There's the rub. None of the Northeastern Republicans will stick with the party.
46
posted on
03/26/2004 9:37:49 PM PST
by
RobbyS
(Latin nothing of atonment)
To: Principled; neverdem; Coop
47
posted on
03/26/2004 9:51:30 PM PST
by
hobson
To: neverdem
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. Hey, let's go for this deal. We can trust them. /sarcasm
"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."
Man, this is rich. How do Democrats face their families, their colleagues, and themselves in the mirror everyday? So, denying an up or down vote, and fillibustering judicial nominees is a checks and balances pillar?
To: Imal
Translation: They know they're in trouble, and this is the best they can come up with. Explain this to the "Bush bashers", in detail, that have no political patience. Paawlease??
49
posted on
03/27/2004 12:30:22 AM PST
by
EGPWS
To: neverdem
If they do this then its more likely we could get 51 R's to take the nuclear option and eliminate the filibuster.
To: VRWC_minion
should we bring back dueling in the senate?..or is this over the edge?
51
posted on
03/27/2004 4:04:01 AM PST
by
rrrod
To: EGPWS
There's no point in trying to explain something to people who don't listen.
As the Democrats become more extreme, obstructionist and self-centered politically, they'll drive away the few remaining Democrats who know what's going on, and marginalize themselves until new and better leadership comes along.
Then the pendulum will swing the other way again for a while. It's a tale older than dirt.
52
posted on
03/27/2004 4:58:56 AM PST
by
Imal
(Friends don't let friends vote Democrat.)
To: neverdem
Senate Democrats Threaten to Block More Bush Nominees More Hissy Fits There. Now the title is correct!
53
posted on
03/27/2004 6:17:22 AM PST
by
alwaysconservative
(Please, please, please! I'll be good, please don't take FR away from me again!)
To: neverdem
Interesting. Democrats complaining of President making recess appointments, a constitutional power given to him, while Democrats filibuster(unconstitutionally I might add) judges who only require a simple up or down vote to be confirmed according to the Constitution.
At times the hypocrisy is so astounding, I can't even catch my breathe.
54
posted on
03/27/2004 7:11:38 AM PST
by
ChevyZ28
(We can make the plans of our heart, but the final out come is in God's hands.)
To: Bush_Democrat
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!!!
I will pool my money with yours.
55
posted on
03/27/2004 7:14:47 AM PST
by
ChevyZ28
(We can make the plans of our heart, but the final out come is in God's hands.)
To: Hillarys Gate Cult
That's what the Democrats say. "Mr. Bush, play the game our way or we'll block your nominees. Don't play it our way and we'll still block you nominees."
Exactly, if he doesn't recess appoint judges they will still filibuster his choices. Now that the dems have opened this door, Bush now needs to say I am recess appointing judges because you have been doing anything and everything except for cooperating with the judicial nominees I have sent to Congress for confirmation.
56
posted on
03/27/2004 7:18:18 AM PST
by
ChevyZ28
(We can make the plans of our heart, but the final out come is in God's hands.)
To: Montfort; Principled
You both have made good points. Bush has got to fight fire with fire. These dems are just trying to make the country think He is the one causing the hold up and problems even though it is really the dems causing trouble.
57
posted on
03/27/2004 7:20:32 AM PST
by
ChevyZ28
(We can make the plans of our heart, but the final out come is in God's hands.)
To: neverdem; devolve; PhilDragoo; onyx; yall
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." Good grief ! I say he should do recess appointments every time Congress is out !
If Congress is closed in October, give them an October surprise: Recess appoint EVERY one in which they are filibustering that is KNOWN to have enough votes to pass, if they weren't blocking them from getting a vote !
I can hear the 'RAT Halloween howling already !! hahaha !
58
posted on
03/27/2004 10:05:09 AM PST
by
MeekOneGOP
(The Democrats say they believe in CHOICE. I have chosen to vote STRAIGHT TICKET GOP for years !!)
To: yall
Democrats threaten to block judicial nomineesSenators want Bush to stop appointing judges while Congress is out
08:49 PM CST on Friday, March 26, 2004
Associated Press
WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats on Friday threatened to stop all of President Bush's judicial nominees until the White House agrees not to appoint judges while Congress is out of town.
Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said Democrats had decided to block all judicial nominees on the Senate floor until "the White House gives us the assurance that they will no longer abuse the process."
Democrats have been upset that Mr. Bush gave temporary federal appellate judgeships to Mississippi Judge Charles Pickering and Alabama Attorney General William Pryor while the Senate was out of town.
"The president's use of recess appointments to circumvent the advise-and-consent process puts a finger in the eye of the Constitution," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y.
Republicans said Mr. Bush wouldn't have had to use recess appointments if Democrats hadn't been blocking his nominees. They also argued that the Constitution gives the president clear authority to put his nominees on the bench temporarily when Congress is not in session.
"To suggest that President Bush has somehow gone outside the power conferred upon him under the U.S. Constitution is not true," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
The White House is unlikely to comply with Democrats' demand.
"No administration is going to rule out" recess appointments, said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn.
"It's unfortunate the lengths that Sen. Daschle and a minority of Senate Democrats will go to obstruct the normal judicial confirmation process," White House spokeswoman Erin Healy said
Democrats also say the White House is refusing to appoint Democratic nominees to fill their vacancies on federal boards and commissions. Many of the boards and commissions require both Democrats and Republicans to serve, but the Democrats are being held up by the White House, Mr. Daschle said.
"A divisive form of political gamesmanship has been allowed to extend to the nomination process itself," Mr. Daschle said. "Talented candidates are being prevented from serving their nation. And the views and communities they represent are not being heard. And the American people are losing out as a result."
Republicans and Democrats have been fighting over judicial nominations since Mr. Bush took office.
The Senate has approved 173 of Mr. Bush's judicial nominations, but Democrats have used the threat of filibusters to block Mr. Bush's appeals court nominations of Judge Pickering, Mr. Pryor, lawyer Miguel Estrada and judges Carolyn Kuhl, Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown. Mr. Estrada withdrew his nomination in September.
Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/nation/stories/032704dnnatjudges.9f7d.html
59
posted on
03/27/2004 10:08:18 AM PST
by
MeekOneGOP
(The Democrats say they believe in CHOICE. I have chosen to vote STRAIGHT TICKET GOP for years !!)
To: MeekOneGOP
I wish. Chucky's no dummy. I read he maxxed his SAT for college, and he exploited quite well the overall ignorance about guns in the sheeple of NY.
60
posted on
03/27/2004 11:05:59 AM PST
by
neverdem
(Xin loi min oi)
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