Daschle single handedly rewrites constitution!

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Daschle Invents 60-Vote Majority

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Daschle Invents 60-Vote Majority

Jeff Johnson, CNSNews.com
Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2002

WASHINGTON – Senate plurality leader Tom Daschle says he will not back down from his demand that any legislation or nomination deemed "controversial" by Democrats receive the support of 60 senators before he will allow the Senate to vote.

"I don't refuse to allow votes. We're gonna have votes on a lot of these issues," claimed Daschle, D-S.D. "We're prepared to take up these issues, but a 60-vote majority is something that should be achieved in these cases."

Daschle made his comments Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." Republicans are criticizing the Democratic leader for imposing an artificial majority, not required by the U.S. Constitution or Senate rules. They also point out that he did, in fact, refuse to allow a vote on the economic stimulus package Dec. 20.

"We don't need obstructionists. We need to work together. We can have differences of opinion," said Senate Minority Whip Don Nickles, R-Okla., appearing on the same program. "With the Senate being so equally divided, it's important that one side not try to say, 'My way is the only way.'"

Daschle's Fantasy Constitution

Daschle says his demand of a 60-member majority before consideration of so-called "controversial" issues or nominees is linked to the U.S. Constitution.

"The Founding Fathers, in their wisdom, chose to assure that there would be ample support for controversial measures before they passed," Daschle said.

But the Constitution does not require a 60-vote majority for any purpose. It requires only a simple majority for most bills and resolutions, and a two-thirds (67 vote) majority to impeach, override a presidential veto, or ratify an international treaty.

The Senate's Web site states, "Unless rules specify otherwise, the Senate may agree to any question (any matter on which the Senate is to vote, such as passage of a bill, adoption of an amendment, agreement to a motion, or an appeal) by a majority of Senators voting, if a quorum is present."

And the Senate rules appear to be exactly where Daschle is reaching to demand the support of 60 members before scheduling votes, but, again, only loosely.

Senate Rule XXII outlines the "Cloture Rule." Invoking cloture is the only procedure by which the Senate can place a time limit on debate to overcome a filibuster. Under the rule, consideration of a pending matter is limited to 30 additional hours following a three-fifths majority vote.

Blocking Reich and Scalia

But Nickles says Daschle is demanding the 60-vote majority on bills, such as the economic stimulus package, and nominations, such as those of Otto Reich and Eugene Scalia, prior to any filibuster taking place.

"The Democrats are saying: 'We'll filibuster that nomination. We'll give you a vote, but you're going to have to have 60 [votes],'" he explained.

President Bush nominated Reich to be assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs and Scalia to serve as solicitor for the Labor Department.

Scalia is the son of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who voted with the majority in ruling that President Bush had legally won the presidential election in Florida. Republicans believe Democrats are holding up the younger Scalia's nomination to punish his father. They say the Reich nomination is being stalled on similar ideological grounds, not because of questions about the qualifications or abilities of the nominee.

Nickles says Bush should use his recess appointment authority to place the men in the positions while the Senate is adjourned. The move would fill the positions, without Senate approval, until January 2003.

But It Was OK for Clinton to Make Recess Appointments

"I would discourage it, but I recognize that that's a president's prerogative," responded Daschle. "That isn't the way it ought to be addressed. The constitutional responsibility of the president and the Congress is to work together on these nominees."

Nickles says Republicans have tried.

"We did work together. We worked together in a bipartisan fashion that we've never seen before," he added. But "the last three or four weeks of the session became very partisan. And that was unfortunate. So we didn't get things done."

President Bush said Friday that he would consider recess appointments "at the appropriate time."

"I'm disappointed that a lot of my appointments were stalled in the United States Senate, weren't given a hearing," he added. "I'll take a good, hard look at all the options available to me."

Bush has until the Senate reconvenes Jan. 23 to make those appointments without the Senate's approval.

Copyright CNSNews.com

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[Jack Black]

I've had mixed results with Best Western's myself. I've found excellent rates on Hotels via the Internet. Strange that I can often get rooms, even on short notice for 1/2 price vs. calling the same hotel on the phone. Weird.

I completely agree with your comments. All of American History is a rebuke to Hillary and her ilk, they are just too stupid to see it.

[classygreeneyedblonde]

He's a little weasel

[ladyinred]

The President did say that the Senate should not be playing politics in his radio address. I think we know what he was talking about. So does that slimey Hitler wannabe Daschle.

[evolved_rage]

And here I thought a minion of Hell would be a jackal. But a fierce rodent makes more sense than a member of the dog family. I like dogs.

[Jesse]

He may be a Dashole, a weasel and a jerk, but whatever he his, he has something Trent Lott and most of the Republicans lack.

A spine, and two big brass ones.

[Political Junkie Too]

Is that what our politics has been reduced to, just the threat of a filibuster and we all behave as if the filibuster actually happened? And not even the threat of a filibuster, just the possibility of a filibuster and they behave as if it already happened!

This cannot be allowed. They talk about Ashcroft trampling on civil rights -- this is nothing short of a coup de etat. Throw out the Constitution and representation and let one man decide the rules.

-PJ

[Recovering_Democrat]

I try to avoid commenting on Newsmax articles, since they involve preaching to the choir, but this one deserves mention. Tom Dash-hole is the most worthless excuse for a "leader" in the Senate we've seen in a long time. The people of his state voted 2-1 for President Bush, and yet he, he continues to obstruct progess and compromise.

I hope Bush unloads on this self-important little man in the coming year, and I certainly hope he becomes as irrelevant to the legislative process as the Queen Mother is to Prime Minister's Questions.
rd

[Rowdee]

The "R"s as a whole could grow 'some' or the President could simply tell Dashole, "look bud, any and every bill you bring to me is DEAD ON ARRIVAL!" Let Dashole try to get his 60 vote override for the Educashun Bill or well-fair, or mediscare.....

With the prez's popularity and apparent bully pulpit, he could pull it off.....

Nah.....I'm just dreamin....the GOP wouldn't have the guts to do anything like that....sheesh, they couldn't even vote to keep the non-essentials of government shut down! Limp-wristed wimps....

[Thorondir]

Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?
Why don't Republicans have any balls?

[oioiman]

bump

[chainsaw]

We must do what "Little Nepoleon" (Dash-hole) says.

[packrat01]

Yassar Daschole needs something explained to him.

Did he really mail himself anthrax to get some TV coverage?

[newzjunkey]

I have to admit, I really hate this situation. No, I really mean I hate Democrat politics. The Dems know they're lying, obstructing and being hypocritical (they're not all stupid) but they have no conscience and therefore don't need to reconcile themselves with reality. All that matters to them is power.

The Democrat which engages in intellectual dishonesty and oratorical masturbation like our beloved Majority Leader Tom, must be vanquished at the ballot box. And, PLEASE, start now in trying to convince the Republicans to jetison the spineless, do-nothing Lott from any part of leadership.

[RightOnline]

"The R's need to grow a pair..."

You could've just stopped right there and remained dead-on correct.

[Rustynailww]

"and force these fillibusters to take place.".......force? from trent lott?...lol!

[Corporate Law]

Now that is insulting to weasels! ;-) (BTW, neat colored words in your post).

[classygreeneyedblonde]

lolol.....them poor weasels they would prolly wouldn't have anything to do with him.......thank you......

[Corporate Law]

Yes, they may have to stoop to reach his level.

[Political Junkie Too]

I say, let the filibuster happen and let the chips fall where they may.

The Constitution meant for filibusters to be a last-resort tactic if a bill was so odious that enough people would gum up the process in order to stop it. This is constitutional representation at work. If a Senator was willing to publicly represent his constituents by filibustering, then he must be extremely serious in his opposition to the bill under consideration.

To say that a possible filibuster is enough reason to stop a bill (as if the filibuster were a done deal), is to rewrite the Constitution. The process is the have the filibuster and then overcome the filibuster, not deny the bill its floor vote because of a possible filibuster that may or may not even happen.

-PJ