Democrats May Delay Alito Nomination Vote

Associated Press ^ | January 13, 2006 | Laurie Kellerman

[Clintonfatigued]

Democrats confirmed Friday that they will make a last-ditch attempt to slow Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito's momentum by delaying the first vote on his candidacy.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record), D-Vt., said in the waning minutes of Alito's confirmation hearing that unnamed Democrats will "exercise their rights" to put off next week's scheduled Alito vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

[Clintonfatigued]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

DON'T LET THEM DO IT!

[Gordongekko909]

Ooh, I hope they filibuster this extremely popular SCOTUS nominee. More rope! Give them more rope!

[Radix]

Well since the democrats control the congresss we should expect nothing less.

[george76]

[Mr_Moonlight]

More rope! Give them more rope!

Lemmings to the bitter end!

[Hoodat]

This is a surprise?

[Reactionary]

Go ahead, little liberals. We want to nuke you.

We want to do it. We'll take Janice Rogers Brown in trade for your Stalinist interest group tantrum.

[Cicero]

So, we're talking Patrick Leahy here, and maybe Harry Reid. I don't know what the committee rules are, but I doubt whether Specter will let them get away with it.

They've already had a two month delay for the Christmas holidays.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

I like the balloon over Biden's head, because no one, absolutely no one, is in a better position to know how bad Kennedy's flatluence smells.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

Well to quote Gomer Pyle, "Surprise, surprise, surprise!"

[Bars4Bill]

If you watched the hearings you should know the 'Rats control jack shit.

[clintonh8r]

So I guess the RATs' "enormous respect" for O'Connor doesn't extend to letting the poor lady retire.....

[george76]

They deserve each other.

[Founding Father]

Committee rules allow for any minority member to ask for and receive a one week delay. Specter is taking the position that the one week has already been granted and that that is why the hearings started on the 9th instead of the week before.

Now Specter has a choice, he can:
1) deny the week delay, the dems appeal to the chair, a vote is taken along party lines; Pubbies win; Dims scream and when this goes to the floor all hell brakes loose with the probability of a filibuster; or

2) Specter can bitch, rightfully so, about the Dims braking their word, give them the delay (or negotiate something in the middle); take the vote and the matter goes to the floor with the Dims in a weak position to filibuster.

Which is the easier path to get Alito to a floor vote? I think it is obvious.

I am one of the primary bitchers about Spector, but he has done a very good job in running the Roberts and Alito hearings---and that includes the abortion questions he's led both hearings with.

I repeat, Spector has done a very good job.

[Cicero]

I agree. I dislike Specter, but he has great political skills and at the moment he is using them for the good cause.

Thanks for explaining the situation so clearly.

[Cyber Liberty]

I agree with you, and the Dems end up looking like a basketball team fouling every 3 seconds during the last minute, to drag the clock.

[george76]

[Howlin]

The announcement triggered a quick response from Majority Leader Bill Frist, who said he will cancel a scheduled Senate vacation "if Democrats delay final action past January 20th."

[Cyber Liberty]

Of course, I should point out that a bunch of folks think encouraging a filibuster is what we want to do. Could jazz a couple of nervous nellies on the "Gang of 14" to wake up and vote for the judge filibuster rule change.