Democrats say they have enough votes to filibuster Estrada vote

AP | 2/12/03 | JESSE J. HOLLAND

[dawn53]

I guess this is called "shoot yourself in the foot politics."

Obstruct for the sake of your supporters that would vote for your party anyway (i.e. abortion supporters, anti-gun, etc.) and alienate a huge population of voters, Hispanics, that could be easily turned from voting Democratic to Republican by this move.

[chiefqc]

Being stupid seems to come so easy for the dumb-o-crats.

[Credo]

... Estrada is a member of the law firm that represented Bush in his successful Supreme Court fight for the presidency. ....

This is the key to Democrat angst. They just can't get over it. They're willing to go to the mat over a circuit judge! I cannot imagine what they'll do with a nomination to the Supremes.

Nelson of Nebraska and Breaux have already announced they won't back a filibuster. I would also assume Miller won't either. That leaves 46 including Jumpin' Jim. Let's see - if I was a Rat Senator with a large Hispanic population. Graham & Nelson of Florida. I'll go out on a limb and mention Thelma & Louise in California. Lincoln in Arkansas is looking at reelection. Bacchus in Montana. Bingaman in New Mexico might not want to touch this one. I'd say even old Hollings might take a pass at this.

I caught some of this on C-SPAN2. Schumer has given up on reelection. Rudy runs against him, he's gone. Reid has too. Nevada has to have a rather large Hispanic population. It's mind boggling what the rats are doing.

[HHFi]

So in order to protest stonewalling, Democrats are going to filibuster. Oooooooooooooooooooookay...

Well, better bring along a case of Sucrets, because you'll be doing a lot of talking, jackasses. I can't wait to show a nation of voters who are worried to death about war and the economy that their Democratic "leaders" are completely blocking the Senate from doing any business because they can't stand the idea of letting the president appoint just one Hispanic judge. Go ahead, make my millennium!

[gunnedah]

Fact is the Liberal faction of the Democrat Party is intent on bringing America down at any cost unless we allow them to control. The Democrat Party is fast becoming the largest terrorist group in America. They should rename themselves the American Communist Party.
The games that they and the terrorist play are outside the realm of anything America has faced up until now and it is the type war that must be fought without taking prisoners.It is all about party politics,power and the spoils of war and to hell with America. Their motto is "Divide & Conquer".
America is soon to go the way of Russia if we are not careful.

[gridlock]

The Justice Department's solicitor general's office, where Estrada used to work, refused to release copies of internal memos and opinions he produced when he worked there. All the living solicitors general for presidents in both parties agreed with that position in a letter last June.

So what's Daschle's point?

[Blake#1]

Right On!!

[BubbaJunebug]

I have to agree with Charles Krauthamer on Fox (Brit Hume) last night....Bush should buy advetising on Univision and Telemundo, showing the democrats in action in this farce

[Elkiejg]

OK freepers, it's time to bombard your senators if they are RATS. I personally hope this filibuster happens because I think it will sink the RATS. However, it gives me another opportunity to hit my sorry reps, Nelson and Graham (FL)

Senator Nelson:
As a concerned Florida resident and patriotic American, I fail to understand the position the Senate Democrats have taken on the nomination of Judge Estrada. Are you and the rest of the Democrats so consumed with partisan politics that you can't see the folly in this activity?

Our country is in danger of losing our very way of life at the hands of foreign terrorists while the Democrats in the Senate play games with judicial nominees. Where is your sense of duty? What happened to your oath to protect this country and its citizens?

Stop wasting time and our hard earned tax money on this nonsense and pay attention to securing our country. What difference will it make who our judges are if Islamic terrorists take over our country?

[RushLake]

....and alienate a huge population of voters, Hispanics, that could be easily turned from voting Democratic to Republican by this move.

I keep seeing this stated, and I hope you're right about it. I had a Hispanic employee a few years ago who was rabidly democrat, believed in La Raza, saw nothing wrong with huge welfare programs, and was sure that the Southwest would be returned to Mexico--not exactly Republican initiatives. I realize she was a sample size of one, but I'm sure she is not alone.

[FreedomPoster]

Sorry for the vagueness, but I saw a guy on some FNC video last night who was "the head of the largest Hispanic organization in the country", who was obviously *extremely* upset about what the Democrats are doing here. While the La Raza types are out there, Hispanics are much less monolithic as a voting bloc than blacks.

[freedom4me]

I contacted both Univision and Telemundo last night, asking them to air the Senate debate over Estrada. Perhaps if many more, thousands more, contact them, they just may do that. Come on, Freepers, let's put the screws on the Dems!

[fightinJAG]

Estrada also, in doing the job assigned him, argued five cases before the Supreme Court for the CLINTON administration, including a case involving Operation Rescue.

His record speaks for itself: he is guided by the law, unlike these Rats.

I hope the Rats filibuster, the Repubs back them down and Estrada gets confirmed.

[fightinJAG]

buying ads on Univision

Oh, that's a delicious idea.

[fightinJAG]

"I contacted Univision and Telemunda and asked them to broadcast the filibuster"

You are so good!

[BuckeyeOhio]

Here's my idea - why not have a "lock-down" of the Senate. If you leave the room, you don't get back in.

[AppyPappy]

Isn't Kerry going to be out of action soon. Call the vote. I bet the Dems don't have it.

[AppyPappy]

He won't do it. That's what is so sad. Bush could do the ad himself in Spanish.

[aristeides]

Why isn't anybody talking about recess appointments? That's the obvious response to such a filibuster. Filibustering judges below the Supreme Court level is totally unprecedented. There's plenty of precedent for making recess appointments to the federal courts.

And the way to get the RATs to pay a price for filibustering is to give such recess appointments to extreme right-wing ideologues who would never be confirmed by the full Senate.