Posted on 07/03/2005 8:12:58 PM PDT by Brilliant
WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee members crystalized the debate over Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement on Sunday, making clear that a hard-line conservative would trigger a furious battle on Capitol Hill that could touch off a Democratic filibuster.
The division emerged amid a conservative lobbying campaign against one possible pick, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, a longtime Texas friend of President Bush who is considered too moderate by right-wing Republicans.
"I don't think the social conservatives ought to prejudge Attorney General Gonzales. Attorney General Gonzales may not even be in the picture," Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on ABC's "This Week."
Specter said he thinks Bush will consider "the gender factor" in making a selection, and the fact that O'Connor was a pivotal swing vote.
However, it is unclear what the president will consider.
Bush has said in the past that conservative Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are the kind of people he admires on the Supreme Court.
Bush was at Camp David mulling over his options, while Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York was urging a summit between senators from both parties and the president.
Asked whether he would support a filibuster if a hard-liner is chosen, the judiciary committee's ranking Democrat, Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), said, "I would hope that we don't reach that point."
"That's why we're going to meet with the president in about a week, going to urge that he put somebody who would unite the country, not divide the country," said Leahy of Vermont.
"I have no intention of filibustering, but it depends on who the president sends," said Democratic Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware.
On ABC, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., jumped in to answer a question intended for Specter, prompting Specter to joke, "I heard the filibuster starting a little early."
With Republicans holding power in the White House and Congress, conservatives see the Supreme Court as the final obstacle to control of all branches of the federal government.
Liberals say that given O'Connor's swing position on the court, Bush must choose a consensus conservative — a move that would risk alienating the president's far-right base but would avoid a political war.
Schumer provided this description of his proposed summit aimed at avoiding a bruising battle that interest groups on left and right are girding for: "We roll up our sleeves, let down our tie and discuss things all day long. Would that help? Who knows." He added, "It can't hurt."
Republicans are looking for less consultation, not more.
"It's not our job to determine who ought to be picked," said Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, who is not on the judiciary committee.
Republicans urged Democrats to accept the idea that Democratic nominees historically had been given ample leeway, and that Republican nominees should be given the same consideration.
"Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a general counsel for the American Civil Liberties Union, yet she was overwhelmingly confirmed," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. "She wasn't asked about her earlier writings on whether laws banning prostitution were unconstitutional."
Still a powerful memory for the Senate is the 18-year-old fight that ended in defeat for Republican Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork, who was seen as too extreme in his conservative views.
"I wish we could drop these political terms for the court because the court is all too political now," Bork said.
Leahy appeared on NBC's "Meet the Press," Schumer and Cornyn on ABC's "This Week," Biden on CBS's "Face the Nation," McConnell on Fox News Sunday and Bork on CNN's "Late Edition."
"Senate Judiciary Committee members crystalized the debate over Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's replacement on Sunday, making clear that a hard-line conservative would trigger a furious battle on Capitol Hill that could touch off a Democratic filibuster."
Anybody to the right of Stalin is too conservative for dems.
This is the heart of the problem, right now the pivot is too far to the left.
You're right, BG. I really do think that most of the pols on the GOP side believe in the concept of fair play and reasonable discussion, even if the other side does not. But they seem to be continually surprised and befuddled by Rat attacks. I really do think they are a little afraid of bullies like Kennedy and Leahy.
That's precisely what he'll do if he chooses Gonzales. Bush had said some time ago that he would hold Scalia and Thomas as examples of the sort of judicial temperament he admires and would choose. If he doesn't follow his own expressed preference and nominates someone "moderate" (read liberal), it will be a great betrayal of conservatism.
Bush is not the problem. The spineless, gutless, ball-less, clueless "Republican" "majority" is the problem. Heck, they'd probably reject Arlen Specter as "too conservative."
Do you have a spare spine you can send the Senate Republicans?
Let's see, 45 DemocRAT Senators do, plus the Seven Sellouts who dare to call themselves Republicans. Plus the other Senator from Ohio seems willing to do Dingy Harry's bidding lately.
By my count, that's a majority of the U.S. Senate.
If Dems filibuster this nominee, the GOP will go home for the summer. They'll run around to every grassroots Republican group and talk tough, but then eventually they will go back to Capitol Hill, and bend over and take it up the chute from the Democrats.
The one positive thing, BG, is that more and more of the public is noticing this. It's been a long haul, but slowly we are turning this aircraft carrier around. I think it will get to the point, if it isn't there already, that no decent, intelligent person will call themselves a Democrat.
The KKK were Democrats!
Who'll vote for me?
Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule, f.u.p.!
Moderate? We don't got to show you no moderates. We don't need no stinking moderates. Gonzales is a stinking moderate
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.