About a Texas county district judge’s ruling yesterday that Delay’s Texas political committee violated Texas campaign law, Craig McDonald — Executive Director of Texans for Public Justice — told Democracy Now!‘s Amy Goodman today:
This is the first of what will likely be many court rulings, and we think most of all these court rulings will also go against TRMPAC and its employees, associates and perhaps one day even reach up to Tom DeLay.
And NBC’s Tom Curry trumpets: “Reid takes control of Frist’s Senate.”
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid proved that the Democrats can run the show — and they are running the show — with only 41 out of 100 senators.
Reid seems to have become Frist’s Dementor, the frightening creature in the Harry Potter saga.
What a lovely week it has been. The TRMPAC ruling was especially delightful news here in Austin
And since our Republican-controlled legislature winds down and closes shop Memorial Day, that can only mean more good news, as we will be free of them for the next two years, barring a special session.
The end of the session will also bring Kay Bailey Hutchison’s announcement of whether she will remain in the Senate or initiate a Republican blood bath in Texas by challenging Governor Perry in the Republican primary. We live in hope.
I feel really good after yesterday’s small victory. We stood up to power.
Keep us posted on the senator’s plans.
Don’t worry, Bush is gonna turn it around next week w/ more Social Security talk… </snark>
I raise my glass to the possibility that their nightmare continues. Smile Dems, we did doubly good this week–both in tactics and public perception.
Gee, it must be almost time for another terror alert.
Reid seems to have become Frist’s Dementor, the frightening creature in the Harry Potter saga.
He is so surprisingly cool. I bet Republicans are holding secret meetings, lighting candles to the memory of Tom Daschel’s time, hoping the spirit of milquetoast will take over Reid.
He is like the personification of the ‘law of unintended consequences’.
Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 12:05:06 -0400 (EDT)
Dear Friend,
As a supporter of the National Republican Senatorial Committee I wanted to send you a judicial update… [Frist, apparently is a supporter.]
On Monday, an arrangement was reached by fourteen of my colleagues. I was not a party to it, and here’s why… [because Dobson threatened to send me to my room]
I do not agree with it because it does not get the job done of ensuring fair, up or down votes on all judicial nominees sent to the Senate by the President. [ In other words, my view of the agreement is that it does not require up or down votes on all judicial nominees. As such, the absence of a vote does not breach the agreement.]
It is my firm belief that–on principle–all judicial nominees deserve an up or down vote on the floor of the United States Senate. [Unless, of course, if they are Democrats. Then we bottle them up in committee. heh, heh.]
The new understanding, if followed in good faith, affirms my principle to some extent. It marks some break in the partisan obstruction [i.e. invocation of Senate rules] of the past two years, and ensures that seven outstanding jurists–including Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor–will get the fair up or down votes they have long deserved. [How do I know they are outstanding? Dobson told me so] But it does not grant fairness to all other jurists. It still allows mindless filibusters to be triggered at the whim of a minority more interested in obstruction than progress. [Put differently, it permits members of the other party to use rules we all agreed with to oppose actions they think are not in the best interest of the country. What is wrong with these people?!!]
And that is a shame. [Iraq, Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Bagram, those are a source of pride.]
So make no mistake, the Constitutional Option remains on the table. [We call it that even though there is no provision in the Constitution dealing with our desire to break the rules to which we agreed.] If the minority again acts in bad faith–if they resume their campaign of mindless judicial obstruction–I will NOT hesitate to call it to a vote. [Kahn has spoken!]
Not for a second. [Or an hour, or several weeks like this time.]
For too long on judicial nominees, the filibuster was abused to facilitate partisanship, and subvert principle. [Take President Johnson’s nominee for example.]
We have exposed the injustice of judicial obstruction in the last Congress, and advanced the core Constitutional principle that all judicial nominees deserve a fair up or down vote on the floor of the U.S. Senate. [Being a strict constructionist, I will point out where this core Constitutional principle is mentioned in the Constitution… but I don’t have time now.]
So the Senate will begin to execute this arrangement, with a vote up or down on Priscilla Owen. Giving up their minority-party led obstructionism, the Senate invoked cloture on her yesterday by a vote of 81-18. [Because to refuse cloture is unconstitutional, strictly speaking.]
Priscilla Owen–after four years, two weeks and two days–finally received the fair, up or down vote she deserved. [and was promised by Karl Rove.]
And, mark my words, more judges like her will follow in the days ahead. I hope the minority will respect the will of the majority, and give judges the courtesy, the respect, of a fair, up or down vote. [At least as long as we are in the majority.]
Sincerely, [well, sorta]
Bill Frist M.D.
Senate Majority Leader
I just got an email alert from LGRL of Texas that the Talton (anti-gay foster parent) amendment to SB 6 was removed in the Conference Committee, and has died a well-deserved death.
Senator Jane Nelson (R-Lewisville) was terrified the amendment would tie the much needed CPS reform bill she authored up in litigation – and she was right about that. I was already honing my briefs.
LGRL and Lambda worked tirelessly to defeat the Talton Amendment. Congratulations to them and to all Texas children in foster care.
He asked Seattle Liberal to post this diary, and Seattle Liberal asked me to let everyone know about it + recommend it. It gets into the ugliest aspects of the House these days.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/5/27/20135/6111
The Ongoing GOP attack on Congressman Jim McDermott
— Please pass on to all your friends! And I invited Seattle Liberal to cross-post the diary here.