Schumer regrets not leading an Alito filibuster ("we should not confirm a 'SCOTUS' nominee EXCEPT")

Washington Post ^ | 07/27/2007 | Paul Kane

[neverdem]

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) declared that his decision not to lead a successful filibuster in January 2006 of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito's nomination was one of his "greatest failings" as a senator.

In an address to liberal legal scholars of the American Constitution Society, Schumer said that after watching the work of the newly constructed "Roberts court" the past 18 months, he would block any future Supreme Court nominee of President Bush's should a vacancy arise between now and January 2009.

Schumer's address covered his views on the confirmation processes for Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts. Conservatives have hailed Roberts and Alito for their rulings and generally have said that their confirmations may prove to be the single lasting legacy of President Bush's second term.

But Schumer and liberals were alarmed by many of the 5-4 rulings that went...

--snip--

"Every day, I am pained that I didn't do more to try to block Justice Alito. Every two years, I look back and take stock of my greatest failings and regrets in the past Congress. Without question, my greatest regret in the 109th Congress was not doing more to block Alito. Alito shouldn't have been confirmed. I should have done a better job; my colleagues said we didn't have the votes, but I think we should have twisted more arms and done more."

--snip--

"We should reverse the presumption of confirmation. The Supreme Court is dangerously out of balance. We cannot afford to see Justice Stevens replaced by another Roberts; or Justice Ginsburg by another Alito. Given the track record of this President and the experience of obfuscation at the hearings, with respect to the Supreme Court, at least: I will recommend to my colleagues that we should not confirm a Supreme Court nominee EXCEPT in extraordinary circumstances."

[goldstategop]

Liberals say the Supreme Court isn't "balanced." Funny, they never apply that criterion to the liberal-dominated Ninth Circuit. Chuck Schumer is a hypocrite as well as an idiot.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[Aria]

YES!

[ClaireSolt]

Ditto on Soros. He wont accomplish much by refusing to confirm, because it will accentuate conservative clout. He must be assuming a Dem president in 08.

[Beckwith]

THe answer to your questions lie in the fact that today's dhimmicratic party has been siezed by an assortment of Socialists and Marxists, all marching under the banner of Progressives.

They are living and governing under the maxim that the end justifies the means.

"The End justifies the Means” is clearly the conception which justified the atrocities of Stalinism and the use of terror by some who claimed to be pursuing the socialist objective.

The most popular and most imposing accusation directed against Bolshevik “amoralism” bases itself on the so-called Jesuitical maxim of Bolshevism: “The end justifies the means.” From this it is not difficult to reach the further conclusion: since the Trotskyists, like all Bolsheviks (or Marxists) do not recognize the principles of morality, there is, consequently, no “principled” difference between Trotskyism and Stalinism Q.E.D.

[nathanbedford]

If you get a chance take a look at the video whose link appears at the foot of this page:http://www.freecongress.org/

It takes a while to load but well worth it not the least because it amplifies and applies you insights to modern times.

[neverdem]

Schumer and George Soros have convinced themselves that they know what is best, and that they are the “mainstream.” They are probably wrong, but don’t underestimate your enemies.

[Ben Ficklin]

"This is a strange tack for Schumer to take"

Keep in mind that Schumer's audience is the American Constitution Society, which was recently created as an answer/offset to the Federalist Society, which now has 4 members on SCOTUS.

The dems have identified the Federalist Society as the cornerstone of the VRWC. The dems have also recognized that while there are actual card carrying members of the Fed Soc, there are also stealth federalists such as Judge Janice Brown and AG Alberto Gonzales. Whenever you see the dems try to prevent confirmation of a Bush nominee, or attack one of Bush's employees, the underlying justification for their action(tho they won't admit it) is the individual's membership, or stealth membership, in the Federalist Society.

Social Conservatives tend to look at these Judges in light of social issues such as abortion, and the dems do also. But the dems have a much wider conspiracy theory involving the VRWC and the Feddies.

The dems think that the GOP is using the Free Trade Agreements(NAFTA, CAFTA, the bilaterals, and eventually FTAA) to establish a Western Hemispheric wide set of regulatory laws that is in direct conflict with the regulatory laws that the dems have established in the US beginning with FDR and the New Deal. Their theory is that once the GOP has the hemispheric reg laws in place, a SCOTUS with 5 Feddies will rule that all the dem's reg laws in the US are un-constitutional. You will often hear the dems say that Bush, the GOP, the VRWC, and/or the Federalist Society are trying to "roll back the New Deal" or "roll back the 20th century".

This is why the dems have told Bush that he will have to re-negotiate the pending FTAs with Peru, Columbia, Panama, and S. Korea to include regulatory protections for the unions, the environment, and social justice. If the dems can take the presidency next year, they will try to re-write NAFTA and CAFTA to include the same protections.

[Jane Austen]

I regret that a loser such as Schumer was elected and the country has to suffer for his stupidity.

[restornu]

Free Republic needs a score card to help in the battle of the liberals vs consevatives.

When the Libes make or do things it is from a different set of rules they judge themselves by.

Where as if the consevatives make or do things they are judge by the old school.

So the liberals are never held responsible such as Jefferson and the loot or others.

But the conservatives are to be held to the Liberal standards and when the the Liberals do something the conservaties are to turn a blind eye!

But I still like to see a score card to show how inconsistant the Liberals are!

[GoldwaterBooster]

Mad Magazine used to run a feature called “Scenes we’d like to see.” Here is a mythical newspaper lead I would like to see.
Washington-—In a surprise move, White House Press Secretary Tony Snow announced today that President Bush has promised to nominate Sen. Charles Schumer (D-New York) to the next vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Snow explained that the president’s nomination of Schumer was conditioned upon the Democrats’ promise to block all Supreme Court nominations made by the president.

[live+let_live]

Is this really news?

Sure he said it out loud. But did anyone think the Dems with their new majority, would confirm ANY of Bush’s appointments?

[nathanbedford]

Does Soros have anything to do with the American Constitution Society? Let's see: George Soros proclaimed that he founded the "shadow party" in 2002.

"As of 2004, an alphabetical list of Shadow Party groups included the following: Air America Radio; America Coming Together; America Votes; American Constitution Society; American Federation of Labor - Congress of Industrial Organizations; American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; American Federation of Teachers; Anshell Media; Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now; Association of Trial Lawyers of America; Band of Progressives; Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence; Campaign for a Progressive Future; Campaign for America's Future; Center for American Progress; Clean Water Action; Communication Workers of America; The Constitution Project; DASH PAC; Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund; Democracy for America; Democratic Governors Associations; Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee; Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee; Dog Eat Dog Films; EMILY's List; Environment 2004; Gore/Lieberman Recount Committee; Hotel Employees & Restaurant Employees International Union; the Human Rights Campaign; INdTV; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; Joint Victory Campaign 2004; Laborers International Union of North American; League of Conservation Voters; New Democrat Network; The Media Fund; Media Matters for America; Million Mom March; Moving America Forward; MoveOn.org; Music for America; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; NARAL Pro-Choice America; National Education Association; National Grassroots Alliance; National Jewish Democratic Council; National Treasury Employees Union; New American Optimists; New Democrat Network; Partnership for America's Families; People for the American Way; Phoenix Group; Planned Parenthood; Pro-Choice Vote; Service Employees International Union; Sheet Metal Workers International Association; Sierra Club; The Thunder Road Group; United Food & Commercial Workers Union; United Progressive Alliance; USAction; Vagina Votes; Voices for Working Families; Vote for Change; Young Voter Alliance; and 21st Century Democrats."

http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/groupProfile.asp?grpid=6706

It looks like you are way ahead of the curve

[Constitutional Patriot]

“Schumer is an idiot.”

Politically, he’s one of the most intelligent people in D.C. He’s been in politics since the first day he left school (Harvard Law). He is 100% political animal whose own quest for power supercedes any duty he should uphold as a senator.

Basically, he’s a really crafty dirtbag (I have other words for him that I cannot post here :)).

[xzins]

one of his "greatest failings" as a senator.

This is a terrible failing on Schumer's part. Away with this "confession" act as if that matters. He flat out screwed the pooch, and I for one don't accept this apology.

The only penance I'll accept is his resignation.

[Arrowhead1952]

I regret that a loser such as Schumer was elected and the country has to suffer for his stupidity.

Upchuck Schumer, the swimmer, Robert KKK Byrd, Lurch, leaky leachy are the poster boys for term limits in the US Senate.

[dennisw]

Politically, he’s one of the most intelligent people in D.C. He’s been in politics since the first day he left school (Harvard Law). He is 100% political animal whose own quest for power supercedes any duty he should uphold as a senator.

You get it. An effective demagogue

[dennisw]

[sergeantdave]

“This is why the dems have told Bush that he will have to re-negotiate the pending FTAs with Peru, Columbia, Panama, and S. Korea to include regulatory protections for the unions, the environment, and social justice.”

That’s certainly interesting speculation on your part - the rats don’t want international scumbag bureaucrats writing illegal law because the rats want to protect federal bureaucrat sumbags illegally writing law.

If you can provide any links to your speculation, I’d be most interested in reading it.

I find the whole matter of bureaucrats illegally writing law an affront to our right to vote, via the ballot box, for representatives to write law. In fact, I consider bureaucrats writing law to be a crime of sedition, and judges and legislators who allow it need to suffer the most severe punishment allowed by law.

[Captain Culpepper]

While this is typical radical Schumer, the undercurrent of the article is the foreshadow aspect of it...

He’s worried about Justice Stevens.

Three words Senator:

Janice Rogers Brown

[mdmathis6]

It would take years to build a huge ground swell of support but the only way to deal with this morass of
bureaucratic crap that Washington has become is to have
a third constitutional convention with everything of the old order completely pitched out and rewritten. Everything
starts clean with historical lessons learned and relearned!
I suspect it will take another civil war to achieve it. The hillarites won’t go away quietly!