Posted on 04/26/2005 7:21:58 AM PDT by prairiebreeze
(CNSNews.com) -- A liberal advocacy group is planning a week of rallies and protests - and a speech by former Vice President Al Gore - all blasting Republicans who want to eliminate Democrat filibusters of judicial nominees.
As part of the effort to stop "radical Republicans" from taking "absolute control of the entire government," MoveOn.org's political action committee has unveiled a new TV ad featuring "lumbering" elephants eating federal court buildings.
The ad says those "radical Republicans" are "planning to break the rules, eliminating checks and balances, to get more extremist judges approved."
The Senate is expected to vote this week on a rule change that would allow President Bush's most conservative judicial nominees to get an up-or-down vote in the full Senate. Right now, that can't happen, because -- for the first time in history -- Democrats are filibustering seven of the people President Bush has named to the federal bench.
It takes 60 votes to cut off a filibuster, and Republicans don't have enough votes to do that. But the Constitution requires only 51 votes to confirm a judge. Republicans say Democrats therefore are requiring a more stringent test for federal judges than the Constitution allows.
Senate Democrats have threatened to stop doing business if Republicans go ahead with the rule change (the "nuclear option," as Democrats call it; the "constitutional option," as some Republicans call it.)
"Our government was founded on principles of checks and balances to ensure that no one party holds absolute power," said Ben Brandzel, MoveOn PAC advocacy director.
In addition to running the new ad, MoveOn PAC said at least sixty "rallies to stop the judicial takeover" will take place in over forty states. Volunteers will symbolically cordon off court houses and declare them the property of Republican leaders, to dramatize the impact of the "attempted Republican judicial takeover."
On Wednesday, Vice President Al Gore is scheduled to give a "major address" on the subject of judicial filibusters at a rally in Washington, D.C.
"You would think it would be enough for Republican leaders that their party controls both houses of Congress, the White House, and has appointed most of the sitting Supreme Court Justices and appellate judges -- but no, they want complete control of the federal government," said MoveOn PAC's Brandzel.
"To get it, they're willing to toss out a 200-year-old rule that has balanced the rights of political majorities and minorities and served the American people well since the early days of the Republic," he added.
MoveOn PAC hopes that a grassroots lobbying effort aimed at U.S. senators will thwart Republican efforts to "pack the federal courts with right-wing judges."
Republicans note that the U.S. Constitution allows the Senate to change its rules. They say they simply want President Bush's judicial nominees to get an up-or-down vote in the full Senate, as the Constitution requires.
Some conservative Republicans accuse Democrats of taking marching orders from liberal interest groups, which depend on activist judges to advance their agenda.
President Bush and other conservatives support judges who would "strictly interpret" the Constitution, rather than read into it things that are not there.
If Dr. Demented Dean would show up too the circus would be complete.
AlBore ping.
I thought Al Gore WAS a lumbering elephant; has he shed pounds?
These maggots are really sweating it. Their one main vehicle for radical liberalism, ACTIVIST CORRUPTION OF THE JUDICIARY, is under major threat. They got so used to judicial control when Clintoni was in office, they are hurting now that their one big mechanism is in the process of being shut down.
Let's pray that Bush, et al, have THE GUTS TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT and put these maggots out of commission as per the mandate given to the majority GOP!!!
Once again, why on earth have the Republicans waited so long to use the constitutional option and confirm Bush's judicial appointees? Why didn't they do this last January?
Once again, if you have to do something politically dangerous, Machiavelli gives the best advice: do it early, do it fast, and do all of it at once. Don't drag it out and give the opposition time to organize.
The Dems, who were exceedingly timid last November after Bush's conservative sweep, are finding more and more courage to speak out, while the weaker Republicans are getting more and more fearful. Why give the DNC and the MSM time to organize a full scale propaganda campaign against us? The political ineptitude of Frist and the Senate Republicans is just amazing. This is much more important to Bush's base than social security. Why didn't they do this first?
I'm sure he'll do it right after he solves the Mexican border problem </sarcasm>
If you ever get answers to those questions, please pass them along!
'This is much more important to Bush's base than social security.'
And they are botching that issue too.
Voinovich's actions are probably just the natural progression of the indecisiveness of the Republican party.
HELLO!!!
The American people voted these "radical Republicans"
You are right!
Remember right after the election and some British tabloid had the headline something like "How could 63 million people be so stupid" re: Bush's reelection!
THAT is the point was elected, therefore, to the victor goes the spoils, right?
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