Posted on 01/17/2005 8:59:51 AM PST by GianniV
WASHINGTON -- The Senate's Democratic leader said Sunday that Republicans ''would rue the day'' if they try to make it harder for Democrats to stall judicial nominees who could not get a vote last year.
But Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said he hoped a new ''optimistic'' climate would take hold now that Nevada Sen. Harry Reid is the top Democrat, succeeding the defeated Tom Daschle of South Dakota, whom the GOP labeled an obstructionist.
''I think everybody wants to be more reasonable,'' Frist said. ''The American people deserve it.''
Nonetheless, Frist did not back away from threats to impose a drastic rule change that could eliminate the effectiveness of the Senate opposition's main delaying tactic, the filibuster, if the Democrats were to refuse to let the full Senate vote on President Bush's judicial nominees.
Reid compared Bush's talk of crisis in judicial nominations to the president's rhetoric on Social Security. ''He's trying to create crisis with judges and with Social Security. They don't exist,'' he said.
BS. Call their bluff. We have nothing to loose and everything to gain.
Man, who talks like that anymore?
Reid is just another dumb rat who doesn't care about this country. Its all political butt games to theseSOB's.
Now, after using shady tactics to preclude nominees from getting the up or down vote they deserve, they threaten legislative disaster if the good guys try to bring things back to normal.
Lucky for the democrat hacks we don't have a ready supply of guillotines on every corner.
Man, who talks like that anymore?
The overly pretentious stuffed shirts, aka "The John Kerry demographic."
The threat is basically that if the GOP changes the rules, then the Dems will use those changed rules against the GOP when and if they regain power. However, the problem with the logic is that the Dems can also change the rules when and if they regain power. Therefore, by refraining to change the rules, the GOP is essentially fighting with one hand tied behind its back.
225 years without this "evil" tactic. History is DEFINITELY on the GOP side, the DUmmies didn't even filibuster Clarence Thomas.
That's evidence of how much further they're willing to go since they've lost sooo much of their power.
It's time to CRUSH the SOB's!
Reid is the poster boy for Rat Bully Boy Thugs. This is just more ranting by a bully until he gets smacked down.
I pity the fool...Mr.T
Remember the "Daschle"....and the Alamo. Jake
More reasonable? Hell, the R's have been more than reasonable, Mr. Reid. It's you folks on the Left who are unreasonable obstructionists. Best you not follow in Daschle's footsteps....or you'll be forced to try to fit into very small shoes.
Excellent point. Somebody needs to point out to Bill Frist that the Dems will not hesitate to use the "Nuclear Option" if and when they get the chance. We should use this opportunity, by whatever means available, to pack the courts with conservative judges.
Reid is getting on my last nerve. FREE MIGUEL!!!
The ability of a minority to prevent even an up or down vote from the full Senate should never be allowed, no matter who is President. It is a privilege of the Presidency that his nominations get a full vote.
And there really is nothing to lose. The worry put forth by some conservatives that they may regret giving up this filibuster at some time when the Dems retatke the Senate is in my mind w/o justification -- The GOP let a true extremist in Justice Ginsberg sail through to the Supreme Court. Not only did they not try to filibuster this far, far, far-leftist, they joined in a landlise confirmation vote of over 90. This is a judge who was on record as declaring traditional marriage laws to be unconstitutional -- a view that put her well out of the mainstream of American thought and opinion -- yet the GOP did nothing!
So my point is that there is no reason to believe that the GOP would ever filibuster a leftwing extremist (in the way the Dems do mainstream conservatives) because they passed up a golden opportunity to do it back in the 90s when the sting of Bork was not yet too old to inspire revenge for a party willing to hand it out.
The pubbies will fold on the judicial nomination issue, you can count on it.
Republicans will "rue the day" it gets harder for Democrats to constipate the Senate? FOFLOL!
"I think everybody wants to be more reasonable," Frist said."
I hope he doesn't really think the godless unpatriotic pierced-nose Volvo-driving France-loving left-wing Communist latte-sucking tofu-chomping holistic-wacko neurotic vegan weenie perverts...ah, I meant to say "our esteemed colleagues in the Democratic Party...want to be more reasonable.
Or even that they're capable of it if they did by some miracle want to be reasonable.
btt
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.