Posted on 04/20/2009 8:15:12 AM PDT by steve-b
Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., urged a room full of Republican attorneys today to fight President Obama's judicial nominees -- but to stop short of the filibuster.
Speaking at a Republican National Lawyers Association conference at the National Press Club, Santorum insisted to a skeptical audience that filibustering judicial nominees would be counterproductive. Two questioners wondered why Republicans should show restraint after Democrats blocked several of President Bush's nominees. "We will lose every single filibuster attempt, even if it's the worst judge in the world. We don't have the votes," Santorum rejoined. "You don't pull out a gun if everyone in the room knows it's not loaded."
Santorum also predicted that a filibuster would cause dissent even within GOP ranks. "Half of the caucus will turn on you," Santorum said. "Democrats don't turn on other Democrats. Republicans do."...
(Excerpt) Read more at lostintransition.nationaljournal.com ...
Wrong. The principled stand would be to filibuster and let them (DemocRATs) shut it down. The Republicans that don’t support it can then try to tell their constituents why.
I disagree with not challenging the Democrat judges, but Santorum is right about Republicans turning on each other - drives me crazy.
Rick Santorum - GONE AND BEST FORGOTTEN!!!!
Absolute wimps....the whole lot of ‘em.
Santorum loves to lecture.
I’ve seen it up close. It isn’t pretty.
If the filibuster was wrong when they used it, why is it ok now?
If it is wrong it is wrong, and we can hardly stand on constitutional principle and then turn our backs on it when we have less power.
Constitutional principles are not situational and they are not relative.
I was against the filibuster in the case of judicial nominees before, and I am against it now. Elections have consequences, we must now deal with some realities. Sacrificing previously stated constitutional stands is not the way to win elections in the future.
Santorum is right, they don’t have the votes.
The repulicans need 41 out of 41 to filibuster and about 20 don’t believe you should filibuster judicial appointments.
I would say if you look back on FR in 2007, about 2/3 of FR doesn’t believe you should filibuster judicial appointments.
Who said it was wrong? The DemocRATs never filibustered because they did not have to. They successfully stopped important conservative judicial appointments without them. Have you forgotten what this bunch is and how they are destroying this country? They have the judiciary at the federal level by the throat. Defence of liberty is no vice.
Like he did when he supported Specter against Toomey? I believe that bit of stupidity cost him his seat in the senate. It might be instructive to see who he's supporting this time around.
They should do EVERYTHING THEY CAN to stop this Bolshevik in the White House.
Even if they don’t succeed, they will have made a political statement that they stand for SOMETHING.
Of course they did because the Democrats were the ones holding Bush appointments at the time. FReepers didn't have a problem with filibuster during the Clinton years and the "Contract With America". It forced the Democrats to listen. The filibuster is an important tool for Republicans, and the Democrats should be forced in legal ways to appoint a judiciary that will not legislate from the bench.
They threatened it - they used the FB as a tool whether they actually had to do it or not. That is how we GOT McCain and his gang of 14. Most conservatives, myself included, were incensed that the FB was even considered an option based on our constitutional grounds.
My opinion has not changed. We do not need another gang of 14. I do not feel that the FB should be on the table for judicial nominations. You apparently disagree. I simply cannot stomach the argument that the defense of liberty is served by sacrificing constitutional principles.
I am so tired of reading about “republicans” who are it seems, without principals, courage, foresight, courage, core values, courage, leadership clues, courage, plans, courage and of course courage.
It appears that every “man” in the “republican” party has been neutered.
And we not have the means to defend those principles if this administration is not reigned in.
You cannot stand FOR principles if you do not stand ON them, Sir.
You can repeat that to me as they take over the Judiciary, nationalize the banks, legalize gay marriage, and arrest us for stating our differences of opinions on the internet.
This is the problem with the current political discussion: we are not fighting FOR anything, we are simply opposing Obama, Pelosi, and Reid. We won in ‘94 because we had a better plan. I suggest that 2010 is an opportunity to revive that success - but it must be based on standing up FOR what we believe.
I don’t disgree with you. The 2010 elections will say much about this country.
Republicans are a bunch of wimpy wusses. I have told Chairman Steele this over and over. Republicans MUST stand up at the plate and swing the bat, because eventually they’ll hit a home rum.
Why are Republicans so afraid of being called names? It goes with the job, because if the Democrats aren’t calling them names, then the Conservative Voters are!
Democrats act like guys . . . they can get into a fist fight, but when it’s over, they go out for a drink together. Republicans are like gals . . . they step on each other, cat fight and backbite trying to get to the top of the heap. Republicans have a problem working together. I surmise it has to do with the fact that to be a Republican you can be a RINO or a traditional Conservative or even way off in leftist field. THAT HAS TO END. The GOP Agenda must be straight forward and laid out as a plan with no deviation. IF the GOP will listen to me and not to those ‘bi-partisan miscreants’ they’ll retake this Country and turn the ship back on the correct course of the Founding Fathers.
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