Dem. Leader Eyes Judicial Nominees

[Rose Siding]

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.
...
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," Reid told ABC's "This Week."

"We have approved for the president of the United States 204 judges the last four years," he said. "We've turned down 10. Even in modern math, that's a pretty good deal."

He said the 10 who did not get a vote in 2004 "were rightfully turned down." The White House announced last month that Bush would renominate them.

Asked whether the filibusters would be repeated in the new congressional session, Reid said: "Well, I don't know, unless something's changed, and I don't think a thing in the world has changed. The background of these men and women that he brought forward, the 10 that we turned down, should have been turned down, and we'll turn them down again."

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-senate-judges,0,5017974.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Liberty Belle]

1. Reid's got a backbone. Good for him.

In my newsletter, Liberty Belle Log, I've recently added a new section honoring "Democrats with Spines."

This is an excellent example, especially since he actually got quoted in the mainstream media. We need much, much more of this.

At a meeting yesterday in LA, I told California's DNC delegation that every single Democrat needs to start standing up to the Administration and loudly exposing the truth. My sentiment was echoed by many, many other rank-and-file Democrats who spoke.

Not one audience member voiced any disagreement with that sentiment.

We have sent a clear message to our leaders in California. I urge those of you in other states to do the same.

Democrats without backbones will no longer be tolerated. There can be no compromise with the right-wing extremists in power.

[JDPriestly]

2. I was there.

Thank you and all the speakers for letting the world know how Democrats really feel.

[Liberty Belle]

11. It felt good to vent--and I think we made a difference.

It's tough to know what the panel will do, of course, but as a journalist, my intuition suggests that most on the panel either agreed or at least tacitly accepted the audience's message. I suspect they will vote for Dean, whether or not he would have been their own personal choice. To do otherwise would invite open revolt among the people who elected these officials--and a massive bolt from the Party.

Did you speak, too?

(I'm the one who talked about how to convert Republicans--and NOT by moving to the middle.)

[JDPriestly]

12. Thanks for standing up.

I was number 130 on the list and was not called. Most of the things I wanted to say were said. I would have added the need to stand for human rights in countries like China, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Russia and many, many more and the need to find a way for individual Democrats and Democratic organizations in California and other strongly Democratic states to develop supportive relationships with their counterparts in swing states. The tremendous enthusiasm in California is not being used to help organize and energize swing state Democrats.

[Liberty Belle]

13. All good points.

You should e-mail those comments to the DNC, in hopes that they will actually read them.

[TankLV]

3. Well well well. I AM pleasantly surprised!

He's gone 3 for 3 now that I can see.

Maybe his assumption of the leadership position is not the horrific spectical that I expected.

[BigMindTinyHead]

4. Does anyone know the score here?

Which party, Dem or repub has filibustered more judges in the last fifty years? Is it about even or does one party have a monopoly on this kind of 'voting'?

[Bouncy Ball]

5. Why don't you google it or something?

Report your findings here.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

7. No point comparing

10 in 204 looks very fair, regardless of what happened in previous administrations. Remember, the GWB administration is different -- loopier, more radical, and generally up to no good. I'm sure you agree with this... don't you?

[snippy]

8. Bush has had a near record percentage of his nominees confirmed.

Over the years there have been only a few filibusters by either party of judicial nominees. In the past republicans blocked lots of judicial nominees through the process of a single Senator placing a "hold" on the nomination so that a filibuster was unnecessary. However, this process is no longer available under Senate rules. A filibuster now is the only process available to the minority to block a nomination so a historical comparison is meaningless and misleading.

Bush's judicial nominees have been confirmed in greater numbers and at a much higher percentage than Clinton's. We now have a near record LOW number of vacancies on the federal courts. Given these facts and the fact that Bush has had a near record percentage of his nominees confirmed, it is apparent that republicans are lying about this issue.

http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-doc.cfm?doc_name=fs...

FIRE THE LIAR

[TahitiNut]

10. Republicans blocked 60 judicial nominations during Clinton/Gore.

Democrats have blocked 10 during Smirk/Sneer. The number of judicial vacancies is at a long-term low. The percentage of judicial confirmations is at a long-term high.

Filibuster/cloture is but one Senate mechanism for blocking judicial nominees. Historically, far, far, far more judicial nominees have been blocked in the Senate by their home-state Senators.

[Dr Fate]

6. Keep it up Harry-the base is following your every single move.

If you want us back knocking on doors, opening our check-books & standing on street corners for you guys in 2006, you will follow up on this!!!

[Zenlitened]

9. Pointing out repuke lies = Step 1 in the recovery process.

Very encouraging, to hear him calling bullshit on this.

Step 2 = Keep on saying it, over and over again at every opportunity.

Step 3 = Get every other Democratic spokesperson on board, saying the same thing.

... Step 12 = This long, ugly nightmare is finally over, and America is once again a progressive society striving to live out its ideals. Vow we'll never let the Repukes get away with their shit again.