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]

Way to go! I love those type of letters!

[justshe]

And don't forget, they need that extra time to think up all those questions they need answers to also. Those are due by close of business today....to be answered by Tuesday.

[AndrewC]

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

Making precedent has never stopped the Rats.

[chnsmok]

Now is he a racist. Unreal.

[Bush2000]

The longer this goes on the worse it is for the demos.

Particularly if we go to war and the Senate needs to vote on additional appropriations. What are the Democrats going to do? Refuse to vote on a matter of national security?!? Because of one man that they oppose?!? Frist et al can credibly argue that they can't force the Democrats to vote on matters of national security as long as they hold the Senate floor.

[PhiKapMom]

Jim Bunning did speak Wednesday night! I have not seen Mitch McConnel back though. He is the guy that is the best at getting votes lined up.

[TLBSHOW]

some more from that story.....

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.

"I think it is important for America to understand that your side of the aisle is — whether or not you use the word filibuster or not — is obstructing or stalling a process that is important to our judicial system," said Frist, R-Tenn.

[AndrewC]

And don't forget, they need that extra time to think up all those questions they need answers to also.

Arthur: He is the keeper of the Bridge of Death. He asks each traveller five questions-- 
Galahad: Three questions. 
Arthur: Three questions. He who answers the five questions-- 
Galahad: Three questions. 
Arthur: Three questions may cross in safety. 
Robin: What if you get a question wrong? 
Arthur: Then you are cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril. 

[esoteric]

I am sure somewhere down the thread someone has pointed out that Senator Hatch called Rush and assured him the story is NOT true. But just in case.

[Utah Girl]

True. It is hard to have to go to the Senate floor if you are by the bedside of a sick wife.

[jdontom]

Mark my spot for later read.............

[GOPrincess]

Did anyone just hear Sean Hannity's interview with Tony Snow? It was *very* encouraging. Tony said the Fox report of yesterday is pretty much non-operational as far as the negativity reported. He said that poll numbers are showing that the story is ticking off Hispanic voters and that senators in states such as CA (he must mean Feinstein, I don't think Boxer would care, although she's up for re-election soon!) and FL are nervous, as well as those next up for re-election. He said the Republicans are not pushing the cloture vote as they don't want to "dignify" this with a filibuster (setting bad precedent) and they really believe they can win this thing. He says the offer for Estrada to answer questions is a way to call the Dems' bluff because we all know they don't really care about the questions anyway, and it's just going to make the Dems look worse. Tony was very upbeat. I'm not sure if Fox is backing off some of yesterday's reporting or if the Republicans have become aware the negative signals sent out yesterday conflicted with the positive, but this sounds good to me.

I just used a link at Hugh Hewitt's site to email Bob Graham of Florida. Keep those emails going, folks! :)

[BJR]

I've watched some of the floor speeches by republicans and they were wonderful. But that was all they were, speeches.

What matters is how do they get 60 votes to end cloture. Barring some miracle, they can't. No matter how hard and nobly they try. You may watch C-SPAN all night, and I say good for you. But 99.9999 % of the voting public don't and won't. That is what Estrada is up against. The deck is stacked against him and all the speeches on the floor don't mean a damn thing. Sad reality, I am afraid.

I'm for trying every trick in the book (and dirty ones not in the book) and getting every drop of blood possible out of the dems. But, unlike most freepers, I am just not going to expect the near impossible to happen.

[GOPrincess]

Clarification, "the story" ticking off Hispanic voters is the Estrada story in general, not the Fox story of yesterday. Just wanted to clear up that ambiguity in my last note.

[mrb1960]

That is a very good observation, and I thought of that after I made that post.

I didn't hear or see anything about the session that ended at 2AM. Complete local media (Indiana) blackout of the subject.

If only decent people really knew what was going up there in the Senate there'd be a lynching!

[AndrewC]

DEMOCRAT

[woodyinscc]

Tony Snow on Hannity

Internal polling shows the R's winning with Hispanic comm.

R's strategy to slowly squeese the vise on the dims!

Show that they are trying to do business at the same time.

Will hold the course!! No Capitulation!!!

[votelife]

I just emailed the RNC and I'm doing some local Miguel activism today!

[GOPrincess]

"Thanks for posting what I just heard!"

Very glad I was able to pass on some positive info today from two different radio shows. I was feeling pretty down last night too. Now I'm feeling good and energized again :). Will send out some more emails this afternoon!

[votelife]

I called Delay today and told him, that if Daschle can't play Estrada, then he shouldn't let Linda Daschle lobby the house.

PLAY HARDBALL.

Call Delay!