Just try to make us end filibusters, says Daschle

New York Daily News ^ | 5/12/03 | James Gordon Meek

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON - The Senate's top Democrat vowed yesterday to continue blocking confirmation votes for two of President Bush's controversial judicial nominees.

Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.) said Democrats will not drop the double filibuster of federal appellate court nominees Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen.

"There are extreme cases when extreme judges deserve no more than a cloture vote," Daschle told NBC.

The GOP has tried unsuccessfully six times to muster 60 votes needed to invoke cloture and end the filibusters.

A simple majority in the 100-member Senate likely would confirm Estrada's lifetime appointment, but Daschle insisted that the White House fork over memos Estrada wrote as a government lawyer in the Clinton and first Bush administrations.

Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), a conservative opposed to the Estrada filibuster, predicted the Senate "eventually" will vote on Owen and Estrada.

The Daily News reported last week that Democrats were plotting a triple filibuster of Bush judicial nominees, even as GOP leaders proposed changing Senate rules to ban blocking nominees.

Besides Owen and Estrada, Democrats are rallying support to block the appeals court confirmation of either Carolyn Kuhl of California or Charles Pickering of Mississippi.

James Gordon Meek

[twntaipan]

I thought Frist was growing a backbone, and the GOP would be using the "nuclear option".

[jos65]

Please help me out here:

Why do the democrats insist upon shooting themselves in the foot?

Either Mr. Daschle is getting very poor cousel on these matters or he is not accepting good counsel.

And, he is one of our forminable leaders.

Heaven help us!

[Claire Voyant]

Daschle's Smirk is getting on my last nerve.

[Jim Noble]

I think the RATs have laid two traps for the Senate GOP on the way to 2004.

The first trap is a 24/7 filibuster, which they would spin as Republicans "shutting down the government". When Newt shut it down in 1995, nobody cheered louder than I. I thought it would be the most popular action by a public official in that century. But I was wrong.

The second trap is the "nuclear option" of using a parliamentary trick to close debate with 51 votes. The RATs are ready to spin this one, also, as "angry white males" being "unfair".

Instead of the GOP falling into either trap, GWB and Frist are just chillin', letting the RATs be RATs-which is the one thing the American people won't be able to take for month after month after agonizing month.

I have been a big supporter of a 24/7 filibuster, but I'm getting more and more comfortable with this strategery.

[netmilsmom]

I think the RATS won one with this one.
W. said we needed to end this. Dashole showed numbers and the media spun it to sound like the Pres was making much ado about nothing.
We need to do something quick.
The average American think W is sounding like a spoiled child with all the judges that were approved and 2 not.

[Joe Boucher]

I went deep sea fishing last weekend off the south east coast of Florida. Jellyfish everywhere which happens each year at this time. Pretty sure I spotted Mr. Frist there amongst his own, those without backbones, just moving about at the whim of the currents.

[AmericaUnited]

Jim, the demonrats will fall into their own traps. This is a new day. Their crappy spins don't work anymore.

[wgeorge2001]

"Besides Owen and Estrada, Democrats are rallying support to block the appeals court confirmation of either Carolyn Kuhl of California or Charles Pickering of Mississippi."


I hear that train a coming, it's coming down the line.

If the pubs don't stop wasting time and use the nuke them their dems, I personally will not vote for the middle road weaklings.
Anyone know of a conservative party in America?

[ChadGore]

God forbid women and minorities might actually attain the position of power that they've earned, without an obstructionist democrat getting in their way.

Free Miguel !

[Joe Bfstplk]

Democrats and Republicans seem to be two sides of the same coin.

[TomGuy]

I thought Frist was growing a backbone, and the GOP would be using the "nuclear option".

No, looks like they decided to take the Sharon tactic. After each major homicide bombing, Sharon orders tanks to Arafat's compound. They threaten. Sharon shakes his fist at Arafat. And after a few days, the tanks withdraw.

That's the current Pub roadmap. Let the Dems obstruct and block with the 41 miniority rule. That will eventually lead to--the similtaneous filibustering of now 2, soon to be 3, by the end of 2004 maybe 50 or more. Think of the history the Pubs have made. Making history apparent trumps getting judges seated.

[It is interesting that the Dims never had a problem controlling when they had a slim majority of +1. I am even more amazed that the Dims can control with only 41 out of 59. Someone needs to tell the Pubs that they are the majority---and to ACT LIKE IT!]

[mewzilla]

Wait till the next election, Tiny Tom. Do the words Pyrrhic victory mean anthing to you, bright boy?

[anoldafvet]

The RATS can control with a +1 majority because the media is on their side. No matter how egregious the claim, the media will always side with the RATS and no matter how right the Pubbies are, the media still sides with the RATS. This is beginning to turn thanks to Fox News and the Internet, but we are not there yet. Bush needs to go on national TV like Reagan used to and tell the people exactly what is happening, like Dasshole telling people out of one side of his mouth that Estrada is Extreme Right Wing, and that they don't have enough information on him to make a decision out of the other side. I guess "the new tone in Washington" prevents him from doing this but I am hopeful that the RATS will find a way to open the door into their faces again.

[Tom Bombadil]

I thought Frist was growing a backbone, and the GOP would be using the "nuclear option".

The nuclear option is going to energize the Dem base. In that case, timing is everything and that is what I suspect is happening now. Look for the "shock and awe" tactic timed so that it helps friendly troops.

[WorkingClassFilth]

May I repectfully suggest to Mr. Frist that he infuse the Senate water supply with a Metamucil? In this way, the blockage can be cleared over night in a safe, gentle and natural way. The only Democrat that wouldn't be affected would be Senator Kennedy since he doesn't drink water.

[Reactionary]

The Republicans are losing again because they're concerned about looking "extreme," when in reality Democrats have subverted the Constitution. We need to ask ourselves what they would do.

They would say that this is a racist and sexist attack on democracy, of course. They would say that this is an undemocratic coup designed to overturn the Constitution.

Ugly tactics? You bet. Would it work? Like a charm.

[LuisBasco]

Sen. John Breaux (D-La.), a conservative...

Last year Breaux's ACU rating was 42. He's hardly a "conservative."

[alnick]

As long as the Republicans don't take the names off the table, I can be patient. I agree that allowing the 'rats to be obstructionists can be a great strategy.

[Huck]

I don't get why they don't just change the Senate rule to disallow fillibusters of judicial nominations. Let the Rats cry about it. I am pretty sure most Americans would stop paying attention about 3 seconds into a story about Senators arguing over rule changes in parliamentary procedures for judicial......zzzzzz.

Just do it!