The process begins today in the United States Senate for the showdown on the Bush’s judicial nominees. Compromises have been offered, faith has been used as a division tactic, and we have come to the moment of truth.
The Republican Congress has followed lock-step with the extremist position of George Bush. They claim to be appalled that judges “legislate from the bench”. The reality is that they are appalled that these judges don’t legislate their extremist right-wing theocratic viewpoints. The vote on the filibuster will “out” the Senators that care more for the President rather than their constitutional role as implementers of the Constitution.
Update [2005-5-18 17:44:41 by Man Eegee]: Senate debate is done for today (5/18/05). It will resume at 9:30am EDT with rotating hours of debate by the two parties. Please contact your Senators! At this last stage, it’s best to call and fax their offices.
Today’s outrage included:
On the same day that a federal judge whose family was assassinated testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee about courthouse safety, Sen. Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) described Democratic efforts opposing some of President Bush’s judicial nominees as “leadership-led use of Cloture vote to kill, to defeat, to assassinate these nominees.”
Federal Judge Joan Lefkow was a target for assassination, and her husband and mother were murdered in February of this year. Democratic Whip Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) hammered Frist’s comments and asked they be struck from the Senate record.
Update [2005-5-19 11:36:5 by Man Eegee]: Senator Durbin of Illinois exposed the motives of the Republicans by asking for unaminous consent on Thomas Griffith, one of the other nominees Bush is trying to push through the Senate. After an objection by Sen. McConnell (R-KY), Durbin then called for unanimous consent on three other nominees. Sen. McConnell objected again. And we’re the ones obstructing?!?!?!?
The point of this type of parlimentary procedure was to show that the Republicans don’t really care about an “up or down vote” (their favorite term nowadays). They want 100% of their nominees approved–making the Senate a rubber stamp for President Bush and silencing the opinions of Democrats across the country regarding judicial nominees. The Republicans are determined to destroy the checks and balances of our government.
::Continued below::
Update [2005-5-19 19:2:4 by Man Eegee]:
There were a lot of great speeches on the floor of the Senate today (5/19/05). Dembloggers.com has made a few of the them available for viewing. Check it out.
According to Fox News.com:
Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist intends to file a cloture petition to end debate on the Priscilla Owen nomination on Friday, he planned to announce on the Senate floor Thursday evening.
[snip]
That petition would require a vote to end debate on Tuesday. If the vote fails — meaning Republicans don’t achieve the 60 votes necessary to break the Democratic filibuster — the stage will be set for a showdown vote on Tuesday to abolish judicial filibusters, the so-called “nuclear option.”
I don’t know about you all, but the Democrats made me proud again today. Whether the nuclear option is invoked or not, the polls are showing the public’s support for the Republicans meager at best. Now it’s our job to make Frist, DeLay, etc. pay for it in the 2006 elections. (end of update)
“In the last two elections, the American people made clear they want judges who will faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench,” Bush told a Republican Party event Tuesday evening.
“I have a duty to nominate well-qualified men and women to the federal judiciary. I have done just that, and I will continue to do so,” he said.
“The Senate also has a duty — to promptly consider each of these nominations on the Senate floor, discuss and debate their qualifications and then give them the up or down vote they deserve.”
The two nominees who will set off this nuclear showdown are Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen. Both nominees have given ample proof in the past of their radically conservative viewpoints. They are hardly the poster children for judges who will not “legislate from the bench”.
This is our last chance to email, fax and call our Senators. Whether you are represented by a Republican or a Democrat, make sure your elected officials know how you feel about the preservation of the filibuster. Here is a handy reference page with contact information.
The Republican Senators who have been wavering between support of the President’s extremism and the traditions of the United States Senate are listed below. Please make the extra effort to contact them, especially if you live in their state:
- Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
- Susan Collins (R-Maine)
- Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)
- John McCain (R-Arizona)
- Lincoln Chafee (R-Rhode Island)
- John Warner (R-Virginia)
- Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska)
- John Sununu (R-New Hampshire)
- Arlen Specter (R-Pennsylvania)
- Mike DeWine (R-Ohio)
Are there any Senators I missed? I reviewed a bunch of news articles and DKos diaries for the wavering Republicans. I know some of them have already committed to voting no on the nuclear option (McCain), but I still think it’s important to let them know how we feel.
Yikes, how did i miss this diary.
What’s best? Writing / calling?
At this point, calling or faxes. They provide immediate follow-up.
I thought a diary like this diary would be good here at the frog pond even though it’s continually mentioned at DKos–helps with the spreading of the wings so the site can stand on it’s own. 🙂
Absolutely! Not all of us has time to check out multiple sites.
Wacky tobaccy, Inhofe from Oklahoma, going on and on and on and then finally comes to his point. He is the point man for the “they are opposed to these nominations because they are people of faith. The line is being drawn.
Is it just me or is Ensign from Nevada really a moron or could it be he hasn’t had an orginal thought his whole life.
Sounded like Dayton from Minnesota grew a backbone, hammered Frist, Dobson and Robertson, almost, not quite calling them fascists.
Patty Murray from Washington state.
The talking heads have been covering the “negotiations” between moderate Senators from both parties; as many as twelve. Let’s get real though, Frist is going to pull the trigger.
Keep those faxes and phone calls coming!
Perhaps I should clarify.
These wavering Republicans are clearly having a conscience crisis. They know that they are selling out the tradition of the Senate; forever changing the dynamics of the Congress. That’s why we have to keep the pressure up on them to vote against the nuclear option. I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but you never know how many lurking newbies read this stuff.
Thanks for keeping us up to date on this entire issue.
I confess, political shinanigans tend to make my eyes glaze over, so it’s quite useful to have a diary like this where one can get the basic information, updates and also easy ways to act on it.
Dana Milbank’s column today picked up on the assassination accusation made by Frist yesterday. He’s acting like a cat backed into a corner. Pun intended.
And the award for the ‘No-Shit’ category goes to this headline from Yahoo News, “Top Court Vacancy Behind Filibuster Fight”
The right-wing extremists want to pack the court with their nominees because they are on a mission–to overturn Roe v. Wade. Warning, your head my asplode if you click that link.
Dembloggers.com has been posting videos of most of the Senate Dem’s speeches. It’s a good resource for those of us stuck in cubicle hell without the ability to stream CSPAN.
I’m feeling good about this, the Democrats are fighting back.
Did I just hear Burr from South Carolina say that he doesn’t have an obligation to serve in any committee’s, or seek to provide solutions to problems, but he does have an obligation to vote on an up or down vote on judicial nominations.
And now for the fecal matter from PA, I am so sorry that you folks in PA have to have this slimeball for a US Senator.
Yep, you heard correctly. Nuthin’ but drivel from the Republicans. ‘fecal matter’ heh
His very voice makes me want to vomit.
“Majority rules! Majority, not minority, THAT is the 214 years of Senate Tradition. I guess elections don’t matter…blah blah blah, I’m a stooge.” (last part slightly paraphrased)
The REAL filibuster has begun! Senator Schumer from New York is reading ALL of the names of the judges that have been approved! GO DEMS!!!!
Does anyone else find Frist to be a scary and dark human being. I feel that he has no ethical integrity at all. Starting with his illegal and immoral behavior concerning adopting cats and killing them to hone his surgical skills. I shudder everytime I see him. He reminds of a shapeshifter. Of course I do understand that when Frist talks, he talks out of both sides of his mouth.
Maybe he oughta be shapeshifted into some homeless cat who ends up being experimented on while it’s still alive.
Hoooooooooooooorahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
The great and moronic John Cornyn is about to spew forth his vitrolic diatribe on the virtues of the majority making all the rules.
I wonder how McCain can stomach having to listen to Jon Kyl, he is one of the American Taliban, who want to take over our country. He also is one of the neo-con chickenhawks, he avoided Vietnam.
Ugh, don’t remind me…it pains me to contact his office. What’s worst is that we don’t have a strong Dem challenger announced or in-the-wings yet for next year.
Hey at least you have McCain, I have Pat the shill Roberts and Sam Brownshirt Brownback. I can stomach Roberts sometimes, but Brownshirt makes my skin crawl as he is recent convert to the Catholic Church and is outspoken about letting churches become more politically active without losing their tax exempt status. He and roberts both want to expand the Patriot act and are firm supporters of holding POW’s as political prisoners, opps I should have said enemy combatants. He also is a wannabe pres candidate.
“This is the way Democracy ends. Not with a bomb. But with a gavel.”
It is an act of arrogance for anyone to do this….It is an abuse of power. That this White House wants it all, and they have found too many compliant Republicans to say, ‘whatever you want, Mr. President’
Hopefully the speech will be posted later. Sen. Durbin did an amazing job today.
Hard to tell where he stands on the Nuclear Option, but he definitely supports Owen’s nomination. He’s going on and on about her school background and record.
Ugh, he just called it the Constitutional Option.
He will vote to go Nuclear with the rest of the whining elephants.
Calling Dems the real rule-breakers. What a crock. They have to break the rules to enact the Nuclear Option.
Allen, and Voinovich before him, are bitching that the confirmation process is too tough on nominees. NO SH*T! THESE ARE LIFETIME APPOINTMENTS.
Why are Republicans afraid of hard work?
Okay, I’m done for today. I need to start packing; I’m moving into an apartment this weekend from a house I’ve lived in for over five years. I accumulated a plethora of crap, to say the least. Have a good night everyone.
Frogman has croaked!
But he will be back we hope with less plethora soon 😉
Good luck with the move