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-Caveat Lector- Judicial picks to stay factious
Democrats, GOP stand their groundWASHINGTON -- In a psychological war of words, Senate Republicans are issuing only slightly veiled threats against their Democratic counterparts if the minority party revives its penchant for blocking President Bush's choices for federal judgeships.Learn from the election defeat of Minority Leader Tom Daschle, the Republicans say, contending that it was Democratic "judicial obstructionism" that led to a variety of GOP victories and Daschle's downfall on Election Day. The not-so-subtle message: Let conservatives have their way when it comes to judicial picks, or you, too, will face the wrath of voters.
Senate Democrats, though diminished in number by four, see no link between the election losses and Bush's judicial nominees, and don't plan to back down. More filibusters should be expected if Bush tries to put someone too conservative on the Supreme Court or other top courts. With Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist seriously ailing from thyroid cancer, Bush could make a court appointment soon.
Based on raw numbers, Democrats still can make a filibuster stick since it takes 60 votes to overcome one. The new Senate will have 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats, and one Democratic-leaning independent. The GOP would have to persuade five Democrats to defect on a filibuster to break it.
www.ctrl.org DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.During Bush's first term, Democrats successfully blocked 10 of his judicial nominees to U.S. Appeals Courts the nation's second-highest courts. At the same time, the Senate confirmed 203 of Bush's court appointments.
But the 10 blocked nominations peeve the GOP. "I'm wondering if they have the heart to try it again," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.
Absolutely, says Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., one of the most outspoken senators against what Democrats consider extremist right-wing judicial nominees.
"Everything stays the same, and the ball's in the president's court," said Schumer, who was just overwhelmingly re-elected. "I don't see the Democrats backing down on this issue."
A battle may be raging also within the Republican Party over potential Supreme Court nominees.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who is next in line to become Senate Judiciary chairman the person expected to shepherd Bush's picks through the Senate cautioned this week that anti-abortion judges would have problems in the Senate.
"The president is well aware of what happened when a number of his nominees were sent up, with the filibuster," said Specter, who considers himself a moderate. "And I would expect the president to be mindful of the considerations which I am mentioning."
Conservatives went wild at Specter, who also just won re-election.
"The value voters who gave the Republican Party increased majorities in the House and Senate clearly affected the presidential race and are owed judicial nominations that reflect their values, traditional families and pro-life," said Family Research Council President Tony Perkins.
On Thursday, Specter backtracked a bit, saying he was not warning Bush not to make those kinds of choices but that "in light of the repeated filibusters by the Democrats in the last Senate session, I am concerned about a potential repetition of such filibusters."
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