[myself6]

Its only "doomed to failure" if we quit. If they hear enough outrage from us they will get the message.

We elected BUSH president along with his agenda and picks for the courts. We did NOT elect sphincter to chair the judiciary committee to BLOCK the president from his agenda. The senator from PA does NOT have a mandate, the president DOES!

[mwl1]

The President has a mandate to nominate any one he damn well pleases.

His mandate does not extend to the constitutional authority of the United States Senate to advise and consent upon those nominations.

This is true whether the President is a Republican or Democrat, and whether the Senate is Republican or Democrat. There are constitutional prerogatives and protections in play here.

Happily for us, this President, this majority leader and the Republican Senate caucus --- including Senator Specter -- shares the goal of transforming the federal judiciary.