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<p>WASHINGTON -- In an election-year slap at filibustering Democrats, President Bush sidestepped Congress yesterday and installed Judge Charles Pickering of Mississippi to the federal appeals court after a battle filled with racial, religious, and regional argument.</p> <p>Bush elevated Pickering by recess appointment, simply putting him in office while Congress was out of session. Such appointments, bypassing confirmation, are valid until the next Congress takes office, in this case in January 2005.</p>

<p>In an effort to educate voters about Democrats' continued obstruction of President Bush's judicial nominees, Senate Republicans took an extraordinary step last month and staged a rare all-night debate. Their efforts are paying off — at least in the minds of the electorate. We found that a significant fraction of voters were not only aware of the debate, but more importantly, that efforts to change public opinion on this issue seem to be working. Those are the conclusions from the November edition of the American Survey (conducted Nov. 18-20 among 600 registered voters, 4.0 percent margin of error).</p>

Rep. Roger Wicker: You should know that Jeff Sessions was born in Hybart, Alabama, that it is not Hibbert; it is Hybart. It's near Camden. You should know that before he was politically active, he was politically incorrect. He was an Eagle Scout. He went to college at Huntington College in Montgomery, Alabama, met a young lady there named Mary, and before they got married, they had founded the College Republican Club.  He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate degree at the University of Alabama.  Now in 1994, Florida sent Joe Scarborough and others to Congress. We had this huge class. Alabama...

Who has the higher favorable rating in the latest Gallup Poll, mild-mannered Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), or hard-hitting House Majority Leader Tom “The Exterminator” DeLay (R-Texas)? If you guessed Daschle, you’re wrong. In the Gallup survey, taken July 25-27, Daschle, the man some liberals believe is simply too nice to do battle with Republicans, received a favorable rating of just 31 percent and an unfavorable rating of 35 percent. DeLay, long the target of a Democratic demonization campaign, scored a 33 percent favorable rating, with a much-lower-than-Daschle 19 percent unfavorable rating. For comparison, House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert...

Home > Legislation & Records Home > Votes > Roll Call Vote U.S. Senate Roll Call Votes 108th Congress - 1st Session as compiled through Senate LIS by the Senate Bill Clerk under the direction of the Secretary of the SenateVote Summary Question: On the Cloture Motion (Motion To Invoke Cloture On The Nomination Of William H. Pryor, Jr., Of Alabama, To Be U.S. Circuit Judge ) Vote Number: 316 Vote Date: July 31, 2003, 10:02 AM Required For Majority: 3/5 Vote Result: Cloture Motion Rejected Nomination Number: PN512 Nomination Description: William H. Pryor, Jr., of Alabama, to be...

Tyranny of the minority Judicial crisis: More than two years into the Bush presidency, filibustering Democrats are engaged in an unprecedented effort to keep the full Senate from giving its advice and consent on judicial nominations. The result: Depleted federal appeals courts offer only piecemeal justiceBy Lynn VincentAFTER SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas) moved to Washington last December and unpacked his suitcases, he learned freshman lawmakers aren't the only ones carrying baggage. The Senate was changing hands, from Democratic to Republican control. And though Mr. Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general and Supreme Court justice, was no stranger to conflict,...

Whatever It Is, They’re Against It David C. Stolinsky, M.D. Wednesday, May 14, 2003 I don't know what they have to say, It makes no difference anyway. Whatever it is, I'm against it. – Groucho Marx in “Horse Feathers” Total negativism is an appropriate attitude for Groucho’s zany version of a college president. His ridiculous dance in an academic robe still makes us laugh. But negativism is not an appropriate attitude for citizens of a republic. It is still less appropriate for leaders of a great nation. And it’s not at all amusing. When a small child learns he can...

The people of the United States have just won a great victory in the war to bring democracy and majority rule to Iraq. Now it is time to bring democracy and majority rule to the U.S. Senate’s confirmation process for federal judges. A determined and willful minority of Senators has announced a policy of filibustering, indefinitely, highly capable judicial nominees such as Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen. By doing this, those Senators are wrongfully trying to change two centuries of American constitutional history by establishing a requirement that judicial nominees must receive a 3/5 vote of the Senate, instead of...

<p>Call now and request what you want your favorite Democrat Senator to do.</p> <p>Chris Dowd: Read "How To Pick Up Chicks" and tell us exactly which "good parts" he underlined.</p> <p>Maria Cantwell: Count all the money from her Hillary fundraiser. The one that took a broke millionaire and made her a rich millionaire, instead of feeding "the children"</p> <p>And then you could just say "VIVA ESTRADA".</p> <p>ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS?</p>

Democrats plan filibuster against Texan Owen's nomination GOP criticizes 'obstructionist' tactic against Bush nominees04/30/2003 By TODD J. GILLMAN / The Dallas Morning News WASHINGTON – Senate Democrats deployed their strongest weapon against another judicial nominee Tuesday, vowing to filibuster Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen as a conservative activist who they say doesn't deserve a seat on a federal appeals court. Republicans decried the tactic as "obstructionist." Senate Democratic leader Tom Daschle of South Dakota said, "Her record is so egregious that we have no choice but to filibuster." Democrats are already using the parliamentary tactic to keep conservative lawyer...

<p>Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican, offered to put Mr. Estrada before a second Judiciary Committee hearing to answer additional questions. In exchange, Democrats would end their filibuster of the nomination and allow a vote on Mr. Estrada by the full Senate.</p>

There will be a candlelight vigil in support of Judge Miguel Estrada, this Thursday evening from 4:30pm to 6:30pm at the Downtown Federal Building (2nd & James)in Seattle. We will bring attention to the the Democrat's race inspired filibuster against Miguel Estrada, President Bush's nominee to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Read Hugh Hewitt's Editorial comments on the Estrada nomination at http://www.hughhewitt.com/editorial_archive_files/editorial_archive_03_03.html#3

Why France Must End Its Obstructionism Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2003 | Email a Comment Why France Must End Its Obstructionism An Independent Opinion Piece By Bob Nardo, Evan Wagner, and David Hodges All too often, American higher education offers students a distorted worldview of moral equivalency. This view is reflected in media accounts of student anti-war activism. Students are taught that all cultures and beliefs are equally justified and America is arrogant to tell others how to live, to tell despots which neighbors they cannot invade, or which weapons of mass murder they cannot posses. Freedom may work for...

France, Russia, China launch diplomaticcounteroffensive against US, Britain 02/08/2003 Associated Press UNITED NATIONS - France, Russia and China have launched a diplomatic counteroffensive against the United States and Britain, opposing a rush to war and insisting that U.N. weapons inspectors be given a chance to disarm Iraq peacefully. While U.S. and British diplomats considered options for a new U.N. resolution authorizing military action against Iraq, the three other veto-wielding members of the Security Council demanded that inspections be given more time. The leaders of France and China reiterated that point in phone calls to President Bush Friday, and Russian...

Just reported on Fox News that Miguel Estrada has been approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee by a vote of 10-9. His nomination is now sent to the Senate for a full vote. Amazing what one little election day can do!

For Owen, is second time a charm? Her odds may be better as Democrats target other judicial nominee 01/28/2003 By MICHELLE MITTELSTADT / The Dallas Morning News WASHINGTON - Snubbed last year for a federal appeals court seat, Texas Supreme Court Justice Priscilla Owen will be back soon for a second try. And with the Senate now in Republican hands, Justice Owen and her supporters are hoping for a far different fate than the one she received last year from Democrats. While her chances are significantly better, the outcome is not guaranteed in a Senate narrowly divided between both...

They don't learn, do they? Just days after the American people decisively rejected Tom Daschle's do-nothing obstructionism, Daschle went on Meet the Press to say that he's going to try it again -- opposing President Bush's judges and policies for a better America. Here is what he said: Senator Tom Daschle: "We're going to oppose him when he's wrong. That includes judges, that includes policy. It includes everything that comes from the White House. We're going to look at it and make our assessment on a case-by-case basis." Watch the video of Daschle promising to obstruct America's agenda yet...

Dallas judge's nomination for federal bench stalls 05/02/2002 Associated Press WASHINGTON - The nomination of Dallas state district Judge David C. Godbey stalled Thursday in a Senate committee because of a private matter that senators said they had to discuss. Godbey, 160th District Court judge, had been recommended in August by Sens. Phil Gramm and Kay Bailey Hutchison and nominated by President Bush in January to be a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas. His nomination must be approved by a Senate committee and the Senate. David C. Godbey Vermont Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of...