Too Smart for the Senate

Wall St Journal ^ | September 5, 2002

[SJackson]

Priscilla Owen isn't exactly a household name. But what happens to her today in the Senate Judiciary Committee will say a lot about President Bush's legacy in the federal courts -- to wit, whether the 10 liberal Democrats who form the majority will allow him to have one.

[machman]

When is Bush going to take the gloves off? I'm tired of the "new attitude" he keeps trying. These guys only know one way, hardball.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

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MEMBERS

Patrick J. Leahy CHAIRMAN, VERMONT	Orrin G. Hatch RANKING REPUBLICAN MEMBER, UTAH
Edward M. Kennedy MASSACHUSETTS	Strom Thurmond SOUTH CAROLINA
Joseph R. Biden, Jr. DELAWARE	Charles E. Grassley IOWA
Herbert Kohl WISCONSIN	Arlen Specter PENNSYLVANIA
Dianne Feinstein CALIFORNIA	Jon Kyl ARIZONA
Russell D. Feingold WISCONSIN	Mike DeWine OHIO
Charles E. Schumer NEW YORK	Jeff Sessions ALABAMA
Richard J. Durbin ILLINOIS	Sam Brownback KANSAS
Maria Cantwell WASHINGTON	Mitch McConnell KENTUCKY
John Edwards NORTH CAROLINA

[Vidalia]

Leahy and his ilk are no longer practicing politics of differing (constructive) ideals.

Their arrogance has devolved into politics of obstructionism and hate.

The liberal Judiciary 10 are denying to this President a Constitutional right that Presidents Reagan, Clinton and George H.W. Bush were all granted by Senates controlled by the opposite party.

These Socialist Liberals are telling the American citizenry to go screw themselves, for these few Senators "know better" than the cumulative knowledge of their constituents, pro or con.

This ratcheting up of the obstructionist/hate agenda is a likely seed from which bloodshed may grow...

[SJackson]

Thanks for the list. I've written my Senator, Dick Durban, expressing my outrage at this state of affairs, and explaining that it greatly reduces the liklihood of my voting Democratic in the future.

Aside from committee members, I think it would make sense for Freepers with Democratic Senators (and that's half of us) or even Representatives to write and express their outrage. It's one way of bring pressure to bear on the committee.

Contact your Senator

Contact your Representative

[mo]

IMHO this is why we need to return to a Senate appointed by each state legislature-as it was hitorically intended .

[mwl1]

freepers need to give this much more visibility.

RATS are playing with fire, I will tell you. If Owens goes down, GWB will appoint her at the next recess and the RATS can kiss the US Senate seat goodbye in Texas, because Cornyn will crush Kirk with this ammunition.

[4CJ]

IMHO this is why we need to return to a Senate appointed by each state legislature-as it was hitorically intended .

Bump. Besides, as Biden et al have acknowledged previuosly, the FULL Senate is required to advise & consent, not a committee.

[monocle]

Many Democrats still harbor the belief that Bush illegally stole the Presidency. Someone should remind the Senate and the American people that the Democrats fraudently gained control of the Senate when Jeffries defected after using Republican funds to be elected. The Democrats gained control when a single member switched party affiliation - so much the mantra of of one man one vote. Having gained control not by a true election but by one individual switching parties the Democrats should have the decency to exercise their illgotten power more fairly. Judicial appointments are just one example of how corrupt the Democrats have become. Daschle using his position to delay votes because there are not sixty votes is a further example of how deeply Democrats disdain democratic principles.

[CPT Clay]

Texan FReepers Make Ron Kirk pay for this!!!

[Blood of Tyrants]

When? Never. He is a "cpmpassionate" conservative, i.e. coward.

[Coop]

I'd much rather have President Bush leading this nation during a time of war than some bitter fella pounding away indiscriminate criticism on his keyboard. But that's just me.

[mwl1]

bump for Owen

[mwl1]

National Review Online reporting this morning that the Owen nomination is dead and that both GOP elected officials and activists could care less - throwing in the towel without even a fight - "gee, that's too bad, we lose."

Pathetic. And it's evident from the lack of attention to this on free republic, as well.

[hchutch]

Bush won't be able to do that, but he would be able to re-nominate her. And this would shift TX squarely into the GOP column. The Dems are making a mistake - first Pickering, now Owen... this could even cause a backlash elsewhere in the South.

[Carry_Okie]

National Review Online reporting this morning that the Owen nomination is dead and that both GOP elected officials and activists could care less - throwing in the towel without even a fight - "gee, that's too bad, we lose."

When are we going to replace Trent Lott?

[hchutch]

The fact is, when the Dems decide to kill a nominee they can do it. They successfully stacked the deck, and I think that became obvious from the Pickering fight, and when the White House strategists went to work to prevent future borkings, they realized that abset very extenuating circumstances (the D. Brooks Smith case), the Dems could kill any nominee at any time they wished.

All ten of these Senators are liberal enough that they will not cross the abortion lobby, the anti-gun lobby, or any other left-wing nominee. When the Left says jump they ask "How high" on the way up.

In this situation, the only option is to MAKE the Left so arrogant about their ability to do so that they make a big mistake. And in this case, they have made a BIGGIE. The firefight here will come afterwards, in the states where Dems are vulnerable.

[hchutch]

Even if we had someone with a stronger backbone than Lott, it does not change the numbers on that committee. More Dems than Republicans. Barring unusual cases like D. Brooks Smith, the Dems are able to kill nominees at will.

Look at the third-oarty candidates who siphoned enough votes to defeat John Ensign in Nevada in 1998 (any GOP guy with a pulse could have won the Nevada open seat in 2000) and Slade Gorton in Washington state in 2000. That's a big part of the blame right there. That set things up for Jeffords.

[mwl1]

I agree with everything you've stated, and the RATS have made a huge mistake. However, I am not confident that we'll make them PAY for this mistake. Cornyn needs to get busy and make Owen a household name in Texas... should be sufficient to crush Kirk's senate candidacy.

[PhiKapMom]

You are so right! Unless we get Miller and Feingold -- best bets to vote for Owens, her nomination is doomed. Hope that Breaux could possible crossover and vote for her but not holding my breath.

Lott is not my choice, but in this case there is nothing he can do if no Senate DemocRATS break ranks. Without Jesse Helms, we need another vote. Someone needs to tell Republicans to quit running when they get so old!