Posted on 02/24/2005 6:33:13 PM PST by SmithL
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter warned on Thursday that an impending showdown over President Bush (news - web sites)'s judicial nominees could lead to turmoil in the Republican-led Senate.
Specter said if fellow Republicans invoke the "nuclear option" by changing the Senate's rules to ban procedural hurdles against the nominees, Democrats could as promised retaliate with other moves of their own to "screw things up."
"If we have a 'nuclear option,' the Senate will be in turmoil and the Judiciary Committee will be hell," Specter said. "We can take an extended foreign trip, all of us."
Specter, a moderate, drew fire from conservatives last year when he suggested opponents of abortion rights might have difficulty winning Senate confirmation to the Supreme Court. He eased their concerns by promising to ensure Bush's nominees got a quick Senate vote.
Bush put Senate Republicans and Democrats on a collision course last week when he renominated 20 judicial nominees who failed to win Senate confirmation during his first term. In addition, the president may soon have the opportunity to make his first nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court (news - web sites).
"I'm going to exercise every last ounce of my energy to solve this problem (of stalled judicial nominees) without 'the nuclear option,"' Specter of Pennsylvania told a news conference.
A number of Senate Republicans have voiced support for "the nuclear option," saying minority Democrats cannot be allowed to stop Bush's nominees.
CHANGING THE RULES
Yet some Republicans have expressed concerns that changing the rules could prevent action on other legislation and come back to haunt them in a future Democratic-led Senate. It is unclear whether Republicans could muster the 51 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to change the rules.
Specter, asked his position on "the nuclear option," said, "I have not made a judgment on it. As I've said before, I'd prefer not to come to that bridge. I'm certainly not going to jump off the bridge until I come to it."
Democrats were encouraged by Specter's comments, saying he recognized the role the Constitution envisions for Senate in providing advice on lifetime judicial nominations.
Yet some Republicans privately voiced concerns, with one Senate aide saying Specter "provided the enemy aid and comfort."
Democrats had denounced many of Bush's failed judicial candidates as "right-wing extremists." They blocked 10 nominees with procedural hurdles known as filibusters. More than a dozen others were left hanging when Congress came to a close last year. Democrats did, however, help confirm 204 of Bush's judicial nominees.
Specter intends to hold hearings next week on four of the renominated judicial candidates -- circuit court nominees William Myers and Terrence Boyle and district court nominees Robert Conrad and James Dever.
All four seem certain to win the approval of Specter's Judiciary Committee. But confirmation by the full Senate is uncertain. Republicans hold the Senate with 55 seats, yet 60 votes are needed to end the extended debate of a filibuster.
Specter's news conference came a week after he announced that he has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease, a treatable cancer of the lymph system. The 75-year-old senator reiterated that he expects to carry out his duties between treatments.
>>We can take an extended foreign trip, all of us."
Nope... Call the senate to order, keep the bastards there for weeks... Turn up the heat, reduce the water, seal off all but one toilet, and reduce the amount of food available....
they'll break...
I'd like to see Specter jump off a bridge right now.
Sick, lame and inexcusable reasoning.
This is why conservatives are piss'd at our "Republican Controlled" Senate.
If the RATs were in control they wouldn't think twice about torching ANY rule that would further their agenda, including the Constitution.
This will happen when Mexico agrees to take over the better part of the US for over due lawn maintenance agreements.
I wish him luck.
.
I don't care.
It is unclear whether Republicans could muster the 51 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to change the rules.
They damn well better be able to; we've worked TOO hard to get us here for them to chicken out now.
Specter, asked his position on "the nuclear option," said, "I have not made a judgment on it. As I've said before, I'd prefer not to come to that bridge. I'm certainly not going to jump off the bridge until I come to it."
It's not up to YOU, idiot; you just get them to the floor; that's your ONLY job!
Where does it say a committee can block a full vote of the senate on anything? Something's amiss here. ADVISE not dictate is the word.
Well Well, why am I not surprised. HEY YOU IDIOTS WE WARNED YOU!!!!
I'm flexible. Teddy Kennedy can take him for a drive instead.
Yet some Republicans have expressed concerns that changing the rules could prevent action on other legislation and come back to haunt them in a future Democratic-led Senate. It is unclear whether Republicans could muster the 51 votes needed in the 100-member Senate to change the rules.
Does ANYBODY, does any barking moonbat think that the Dems wouldn't change the rules to suit themselves, if they had a slim majority? And the bleeps would march in lockstep, too.
Snarlin Arlen had better figure out fast that nobody, but nobody, is fooled by his mealy-mouthed bleep.
I don't think Frist has the spine for the Nuke Option.
He keeps telling people..."we have the votes for it...we have the votes for it"
Well, FRIST, quit talking about it...and just do it.
"I'm going to exercise every last ounce of my energy to solve this problem (of stalled judicial nominees) without 'the nuclear option
Translation:
Nothing is going to happen until the '06 election.
The Democrats stalled for 4 years, they can stall for 2 more.
I will believe that the Republicans wil stand up to the Democrats when I see it.
Specter is a wuss
But...but...Specter is a REPUBLICAN! We must vote for anyone, even if it includes the Clintons, who have an "R" after their name!
Specter is a traitor; Frist is the wuss.
There is no future for these spinless wonders if they don't exercise their power today.
ping
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