i don't think there's anything left to argue about. i would say this is just a different kind of procedure...it was not at all envisioned that judicial appointments would be denied for ideological reasons, but that is clearly what is happening here. it overturns democracy, in my view. we've elected people of a certain persuasion to make and confirm these appointments...and now the minority uses procedural delay to kill the nominations. as subatomic said, this is "terrible." it's dangerous precedent...how in the world will we ever end up with benches filled if this continues from both sides?
it was not at all envisioned that judicial appointments would be denied for ideological reasons, but that is clearly what is happening here. it overturns democracy, in my view. I could be wrong here, but I don't believe it was envisioned at all. There's no technical rules for filibusters or anything like that. It was never created on purpose - it just happens to be that you can keep blabbering on as long as you want in the Senate and someone decided to term that "filibustering". It's something that's a result of how the rules were written. So I see no more overturning of democracy here than I do when the Senate isn't allowed to vote on a bill for the same reason.
you're misunderstanding me...there are 2 issues here: 1. denying an appointment, either through filibuster or actually voting them down, on ideological grounds; or 2. the minority party seeking to deny specifically through filibuster. my post that you quoted has more to do with #1...but your argument in response has to do with #2. if you want to discuss #2...what do you do with the quotes from Daschle, Biden and Leahy that I posted above?? if you want to discuss #1...what do you do with the quote from the Federalist Papers and from Biden that I posted above? there is historical precedent here...sort of the way we do things...decorum, etc. these are judicial appointments...you either vote them up or you vote them down. you do not leave them hanging on the vine indefinitely. this is not legislation that merits detailed discussion...according to Hamilton's analysis in the Federalist Papers and Biden's analysis above, you determine if they are of fit moral character or not...and you go from there. when a president is elected, he gets to make appointments. that's a perk of being elected. had the dems maintained a majority in the Senate, they could have blocked this outright. they didn't. they lost. this is one of the things they lost. that's democracy. but it's lost in procedural delay. bottled up. "i call for a vote of no-confidence in the viceroy!"
Please wake up. There is no such thing as the democracy that our founding fathers advocated in such documents as, oh, the Constitution. The Bill of Rights. Things like that. Bush is in office simply to rubber-stamp wars and tax cuts that help big corporations. Corporations control all major media. So we're told what big business wants us to hear. A government by the people, for the people. Good luck. Not anymore.
I think part of the problem with Estrada is that they aren't giving any of his written opinions or anything else up for examination. It's like saying, 'This guy is qualified... You'll just have to take our for it though, we don't want you to look at his history his written opinions on cases etc.' No matter which side tried to slide that by for approval, I would hope the other side would do everything in their power to stop it.
Clinton's nomination of James Hormel, an openly gay man, to the post of Ambassador of Luxembourg was stalled by Republicans for 2 years. Bush nominates Michael Guest, an openly gay man, to the post of Ambassador of Romania and it goes off without a hitch.
that's simply not true....read the letter i posted a link to. he's been more responsive...or at least as responsive...as nominees from previous administrations asked the very same questions.
not a filibuster per se but it has the same effect WASHINGTON (AllPolitics, June 4) -- President Bill Clinton Friday used his recess appointment privilege to name James Hormel as ambassador to Luxembourg. Clinton's move was in direct defiance of the Senate's GOP leadership who have refused to confirm Hormel because he is openly gay. The recess appointment is a constitutional device that becomes available to the president if an appointment is made while Congress is in recess. Both the House and the Senate return from their 10-day Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Under the recess appointment, Hormel, 66, will be able to serve until the end of 2000, when the 106th Congress adjourns. All of Clinton's ambassadorial appointments expire at the end of his term in January 2001. Hormel, who will become the first openly gay U.S. ambassador, was originally nominated to the post in 1997. Although the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved the nomination and his supporters claim they had the votes in the full Senate to confirm the appointment, the conservative GOP leadership, including Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, refused to allow the matter to come to a floor vote in the 105th Congress.
Thank you, Michael Moorer. This whole arguement is so tired and boring. EVERY politician from every party has ties to big business, not just the EEEEVIL Republicans.
**** me gently with a chainsaw, a republican saying that democrats are disregarding the constitution despite this administration restricting constitutional liberties? Hey pot, this is kettle, you're black in case you didn't know. Democratic nominees get passed at a greater rate not because republicans are really good guys, they get passed easier because they aren't nominating right wing headcases that use their legal power to promote their political views.
Where do I start? Oh wait, aren't you the guy who said the the Bush Administration was behind the 9/11 attacks? ...never mind.
The Democrats are asking Bush to allow independent commissions assume the Constitutionally mandated Presidential responsibility of appointing Federal judges. btw, which of our inalienable rights are under attack?
I think you mean the supreme chancellor, the viceroy was the weird alien guy from the trade federation. That is unless you are NOT quoting TPM, in which case .
