Posted on 04/28/2005 7:52:43 PM PDT by pctech
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Republican leader Bill Frist offered a compromise in a battle over President Bush's judicial nominees, but a top Democrat called it a "wet kiss" to the right wing.
Frist's proposal seeks to avert a showdown over Republican threats to change Senate rules in order to ban procedural roadblocks known as filibusters against judicial nominees.
Democrats have filibustered 10 of Bush's candidates whom they have deemed "right-wing ideologues," and have vowed retaliation in response to any ban on the filibuster, which permits unlimited debate.
Frist, the Senate majority leader, said he would "guarantee" up to 100 hours to debate any nominee to the appeals courts or U.S. Supreme Court. But Frist also said he would require that they all get a confirmation vote, meaning filibusters against these candidates would be banned.
"It may not be a perfect proposal for either side, but it's the right proposal for America," said Frist as he stood in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, a Nevada Democrat, called the proposal a "big wet kiss to the far right," which has pushed to ban judicial filibusters and get more conservatives on the bench.
Yet Reid promised to study the multifaceted offer as Democrats and Republicans seek to find common ground and avoid what could be a nasty fight.
The outcome of the debate would affect Senate consideration of future nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court, which decides major constitutional issues including abortion and civil rights.
"I'm happy to see that we're working toward a solution," said Reid, who offered a proposal of his own earlier this week that the White House and Senate Republicans rejected.
Frist has threatened to change Senate rules, if needed, to ban judicial filibusters. Democrats have promised to retaliate by invoking other procedural hurdles to slow the work of the Senate on matters that they consider nonessential.
It is unclear when Frist would move to change the rules with the "nuclear option," so named because of the destruction it would do to Senate bipartisanship.
While 60 votes are needed to end a filibuster, 51 would be needed to ban them. Republicans hold 55 seats, but it is unclear if they can get 51 votes to eliminate filibuster.
Republican leaders have voiced confidence that they will have the needed support, but Democrats have raised doubts, insisting it is too close to call.
Under Frist's proposal, filibusters would still be permitted against district-court nominees. But that could change, an aide said, if Democrats start to filibuster them.
So far, Democrats have limited their judicial filibusters to appeals-court nominees, having blocked 10 of them during Bush's first term.
The president renominated seven of them after winning reelection in November, and Democrats have said that they would again filibuster these candidates.
Earlier this week, Democrats offered to permit votes on some of the seven renominated judicial nominees, provided others were dropped. But the White House and Senate Republicans said they wanted votes on all of them.
Democrats have rejected complaints about their filibusters, noting Republicans blocked about 60 of President Bill Clinton's judicial candidates, preventing most of them from even getting a confirmation hearing.
To address such a problem in the future, Frist proposed a process to ensure that nominees get out of committee and reach the full Senate for a vote.
Frist also again promised that a ban would only apply to judicial filibusters and would not be extended to such roadblocks against legislation and nonjudicial nominees.
Yet critics have voiced concern that could happen, particularly after Frist, a potential 2008 presidential candidate, leaves the Senate. He does not plan to run for reelection next year.
Looks like the GOP is whimping out again. Looks like a sell-out to me. What does everyone think?
Looks like your analysis is dead wrong. At the end of the day, it will still be an up or down vote.
Try not to be so quick to sell out Frist.
if we get a vote on the judges by the full senate, even if there is 100 hours of debate no one will pay any attention to before those votes - we win if we get the vote in the full senate.
I liked the Dick Morris approach. It was posted here yesterday, it made a lot of sense. Yes, the Republicans wimped out. That is kinda like saying the sky is blue though.
"We'll let you trash these the nominees on the Senate floor for 50 hours, but then they get an up or down vote." That doesn't sound like wimping out to me.
It doesn't look like wimping out if the plan is as stated here. All the Dems would get is time to debate judges, but not to filibuster. So they debate 100 hours, and then vote. At best, looks like a minor face-saving for the Rats so they can claim they got something in return for a vote, but they aren't really getting squat, at least as stated in this article.
At best, looks like a minor face-saving for the Rats so they can claim they got something in return for a vote, but they aren't really getting squat, at least as stated in this article.
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I agree - your opinion is probably real close to reality. The Dems do not have the upper hand IF the Repubs stand tough on changing the rules if needed. The Dems are in big trouble, with their escalating problems and losses and they don't want to look any more OBSTRUCTIONIST THAN THEY REALLY ARE --- :-)
Frist said no. He is offering this, but the up / down vote is coming. One way or another.
LVM
Well I guess Laz is jumping ship on the Republican party.
....."big wet kiss to the far right".....
Am I the only one who finds this a rather sleazy way for a grown-up to express himself in public?
Frist whimps out again.
this means each undesirable candidate can be stalled for three weeks. With bush's term up in 200 or less weeks, the dems could limit him to 68 votes, if they did nothing else with the senate time schedule.
add in a little war business, a little budget business and a little social security business, and you cut that to about 25 percent of the 68 candidates, or about 17.
What frist did, was make a commitment that ONLY 17 of bush's appointees would get an up or down vote. Had we gone nuclear, the votes could have been 3 appointees a day, for 300 days or so. that would mean a potential of 900. If only 25 percent of THEM were actuall put on the schedule we would get 75 or so conservative judges appointed.
frist is an idiot for not getting it done as SOON as he HAD the votes to redo the rules.
Go pubbies go!
Good. It's just a matter of Frist knowing his bottom line and having long-term view.
The up or down vote can create a 'backlash' or a whimper ... Frist and GOP may look like they are wimping but they are also de-energizing the other side, which is wriggling to 'compromise' when they dont have the power to change much.
it's like trying to bet heavy when they have a pair of deuces and Frist holds three Aces.
As long as there is a vote the Constitution wins. But what really gets me red boiling angry is that the GOP just lets the Dimwits change meanings and definitions with no fight. How the hell did following the strict rule of law ever become a radical idea. This is pathetic, I listen to Reid and Schumer and swimmer and Gore and I wait for verbal bunker buster response and it never comes. NEVER! Oh we read about it here and in other Conservative journals but until Republican politicians start saying no you are wrong, it is you harry Reid who is unAmerican, it is you the democrats that have so twisted our Constitution that the mere following of it is now considered radical by you progressive scum. You have stolen the definition of Liberty, and Freedom and will not let you redefine America any more! We want it back. OK , Ive had it, I'm going down to the creek and throw some Lipton to the fish>
Why the heck are we playing these stupid games that allow the Dumbocraps to win the PR game?
The answer to the filibuster question is so simple - stop the 'gentlemens' filibuster where normal Senate business continues like nothing is happening, and force the opposition to conduct a REAL filibuster, Jimmy Stewart style - 24/7, while Senate business is totally sidelined. When the public sees these blowhards as they really are, they'll lose the PR game bigtime.
Why won't Republican leadership take this step? As far as I can tell, it isn't even discussed.
They'd miss their afternoon Martinis if they did it... That's why.
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