A New Move on Estrada ('Tain't over yet!)

National Review Online ^ | 2/28/2003 | Byron York

[ArcLight]

In perhaps its most forceful effort yet to break the stalemate over the appeals-court nomination of Miguel Estrada, the White House has now invited every member of the Senate who has doubts about Estrada's legal views to submit written questions to Estrada by the close of business Friday. In a letter delivered Thursday to all 100 senators, White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales said Estrada will respond by next Tuesday.

[PhiKapMom]

LOL!!! I actually like him too.

Get this -- My youngest daughter and I met quite a few of the press when they were here for a Bush rally and we actually like David Gregory -- can you believe that? Since then it has been all down hill!

[PhiKapMom]

LOL!!! I actually like him too.

Get this -- My youngest daughter and I met quite a few of the press when they were here for a Bush rally and we actually like David Gregory -- can you believe that? Since then it has been all down hill!

[BJR]

Being realistic is not the same as being pessimistic. Being overly and unreasonably optimistic only sets people up for a big letdown. I love Bush, but when he thinks that his need for tax cuts and the improved economy needed for his re-election is being sacrificed by a senate gridlock over Estrada, he will have to give up the good fight. And there is the fact that there are several pro-abortion republican senators who we must know are not keen on supporting an alleged pro-life judge.

You can call this being overly pessimistic if you want, but I'd rather think with my brain than my heart.

[BJR]

Amen!

[Cboldt]

Which will create more calls to Senators, cheering the GOP Senators on and encouraging them to stay the course (stand firm): Rush saying the GOP looks like it's folding, or Rush saying the nomination is in the bag?

Sly like a fox, I'd say.

[chnsmok]

JESSE J. HOLLAND, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, February 12, 2003

---

(02-12) 19:28 PST WASHINGTON (AP) --

Bush said the Democratic plan to block his nominee, who would be the first Hispanic judge on the appeals courts, was "shameful politics." Senate GOP leader Bill Frist warned Democrats that he might force them to stay in the Senate chamber at night and on weekends until he gets a final vote on Estrada.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2003/02/12/national1726EST0770.DTL

[alnick]

You mean the article that said this:

"But Frist emphasized that a vote to break the filibuster would not mark the end of the Estrada struggle. "'I would think the battle is just beginning. At that juncture, we would know who we need to talk to. I've got a feeling, I've got a sense that Democrats are entrenched, and our goal is to pull them out of those trenches. It may take a few days. It may take a few weeks — it may take months — but it's my goal to pull them out of those trenches,' Frist said."

[Utah Girl]

I'm awfully sure I saw Jim Bunning there on the floor of the Senate Wednesday night, I think he spoke.

[marajade]

Maybe... but maybe too his wife is still ill and he has to spend some more time with her...

[RandyRep]

A 2/3 vote also applies to making or changing a rule of the Senate.

IMHO, making a rule that advise and consent on nominations is not subject to cloture is the way to get around this current problem.

The Pubs have hesitated in this in order to prevent making a precedent for judicial nominations.

[marajade]

if they can't get to 60 how are they going to get to 67?

[TLBSHOW]

That was the one I have been searching for for hours LOL

oh and now Frist says the rats are not racist for doing this filibuster. Holding my head in disbelief.

here is who we are up against


From: Peter Schurman, MoveOn.org
Subject: Court packing -- demand a filibuster
Date: February 3, 2003

Dear MoveOn member,

As we mourn Columbia, and as the drumbeat for war intensifies, we
face another crucial challenge -- this week is the key to whether
the Bush administration will succeed in packing our courts with
right-wing ideologues. We need your help.

Our best hope is to demand that Democrats dig in and filibuster
extremist nominations. The first test vote will be on Miguel
Estrada, a stealth right-wing extremist who has never served as
a judge, and who has taken pains to hide his views on the law
from the public. Yet Estrada has been nominated to the second-most
powerful court in the country, and is widely thought to be Bush's
top choice for a seat on the Supreme Court.

snip:

Here's a list of organizations opposing the Estrada nomination:

ADA Watch/National Coalition for Disability Rights
AFL-CIO
Alliance for Justice
American Association of University Women
Americans for Democratic Action
Congressional Hispanic Caucus
Congressional Black Caucus
Earthjustice
Feminist Majority
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Moveon.org
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.
NARAL Pro-Choice America
National Council of Jewish Women
National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Association
National Fair Housing Alliance
National Organization for Women
National Partnership for Women and Families
National Women's Law Center
People For the American Way
Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund
Sierra Club
Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project
United Auto Workers
Working Assets

http://www.moveon.org/news/1011.html

[woodyinscc]

Just sent two
message to my two socialist senators to vote for Estrada. One of them
had the gall a while back to reply that Estrada had not answered any
questions, so she couldn't vote for him. I told her he had answered
more than most other nominees, and answered all he could without
stepping on possible future decisions, for which he could not give his
personal opinion, but would have to reply on what the law is. I also
accused her of trying to maintain the message that minorities cannot
succeed without the help of the government. If it got out that hard
work pays off, their base would disappear.

[Howlin]

TLBSHOW said Frist PROMISED 24/7 and weekends.

Nice try though.

[Utah Girl]

Bravo on the satire "Doolittle's flight fails to win war." It was spot on!!!

[TLBSHOW]

Frist says the democrats are not racist too.....

[Howlin]

You were searching for an article that does NOT say Frist promised 24/7 and weekends?

Keep that moveon.org crap off these threads. That is NOT relevant.

[Otta B Sleepin]

You can call this being overly pessimistic if you want, but I'd rather think with my brain than my heart.

Please don't take my comments personally; they were addressed to everyone and if they don't apply, then disregard them.

I will also say to everyone that if you haven't seen the actual exchanges between the Senators, then your conclusions are based on secondhand information. If you've watched the evening floor sessions and still believe the Republicans are "caving," then I'll agree to disagree with you, but your opinion will be more credible to me.

[Ladysmith]

That's the way I see it - and they're going to wind up underestimating President Bush again.