WP: Liberals Rethinking Senate Filibuster Deal

[kskiska]

Wednesday, June 8, 2005; A04

Democrats generally cheered, and Republicans groused, when a bipartisan group of senators crafted a compromise on judicial nominations last month. But with the Senate now confirming several conservative nominees whom Democrats had blocked for years, some liberals are questioning the wisdom of the deal and fretting about what comes next.

"Our problem with the compromise is the price that was paid," Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) said yesterday. She and other Congressional Black Caucus members plan to march into the Senate today to protest the impending confirmation of Janice Rogers Brown.

President Bush nominated Brown, an African American on the California Supreme Court, to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, second in prestige and importance only to the Supreme Court. She has expressed her vividly conservative philosophies in speeches and written opinions that dismay liberals. Brown's record "shows a deep hostility to civil rights, to workers' rights, to consumer protection and to a wide variety of governmental actions in many other areas," Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) said in the first of two floor speeches opposing her nomination yesterday.

The Senate voted 65 to 32 yesterday to end a nearly two-year Democratic filibuster of Brown. The vote stemmed from last month's deal in which seven Democrats agreed to drop filibusters of Brown and four other long-contested nominees, and to refrain from future judicial filibusters except in "extraordinary circumstances." In return, seven GOP senators agreed to scuttle Majority Leader Bill Frist's proposed rule change banning judicial filibusters.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/07/AR2005060700125.html

[tk2kewl]

1. This is good. And it sounds planned.

Could there be a strategy being employed to shift the center left?

Strike the deal and then make DINOS and pugs look like they sold out the public.

[Kerrytravelers]

2. Our problem with the compromise is the price that was paid,"

And pay dearly we shall... unless we grow some spines and stand up straight against the christo-fascist brigade of traitors commonly known as the rethuglian party.


Go, I pray every day I am totally wrong in my distrust of this "deal." Please, I want to be wrong.

[noamnety]

3. We'd have a better senate

if we were allowed to swap a few of them out for Congressional Black Caucus members.

[DELUSIONAL]

4. Amen to that!!

The true heroes of this era -- Congressional Black Caucus members!!!

[Coexist]

18. so, so true

I love the general, but would just DIE of happiness if Conyers got the Dem nod to run for President.

[Kelvin Mace]

5. Duh!!!

Well thank you for finally figuring that out, professor. You're only three weeks late in realizing your folly.

The filibuster "deal" gave the Vichy Dems complete cover to surgically attach their lips to Bill "Call me Jesus" Frist's ass.

Joe Lieberman would thank you but it's impolite to talk with your mouth full.

[Fone Book]

9. I like that - "Vichy Dems"

[Kelvin Mace]

13. I can think of no more appopriate label.

[Cha]

6. "Liberals"?

:wtf:

An African American doesn't dig "civil rights"? What Planet is she from?

It's tough to be in the minority.

[TaleWgnDg]

7. Of the three nominees . . .

.
Of the three nominees . . .

1.) William H. Pryor Jr. http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:amQV6rkffeoJ:www.independentjudiciary.com/resources/docs/Pryor%2520Final%2520AFJ%2520Report%25206_10_03.pdf+Pryor+AND+oppose+AND+%22alliance+for+justice%22&hl=en
Nominated to: Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
Status of nomination: Nominated 4/09/03; Hearing 06/11/03
Voted out of Committee on 07/23/2003
There have been two failed cloture vote: July 31, 2003 and November 6, 2003
Given a recess appointment to the Eleventh Circuit, 2/20/04
Renominated by GWBush on 2/14/05

2.) Janice Rogers Brown (presently a justice upon the California Supreme Court)
Nominated to: Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
Status of nomination: Nominated 7/25/03; Hearing 10/22/03
Failed cloture vote 11/14/2003; Renominated 2/14/05; Voted out of Committee on 4/21/05; Pending Senate floor

3.) Priscilla R. Owen (was a justice of the Texas Supreme Court; and now Owen sits on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit) http://www.independentjudiciary.com/nominees/nominee.cfm?NomineeID=21
Nominated to: U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit,
Status of nomination: Confirmed 5/25/05
Confirmed by 56-43 vote; Renominated 2/14/2005; Voted out of Committee on 4/21/05
There have been four failed cloture votes: May 1, 2003: May 8, 2003; July 28, 2003; November 14, 2003

Janice Rogers Brown is the worst nomination. Why do I say that? Janice Rogers Brown is being appointed for a lifetime seat on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.

First, This is a federal appellate level court that reviews a lot of litigation from the Executive Branch's federal administrative agencies. This is the most important federal appellate circuit court in the entire nation!!

Second, due to the importance of this federal appellate court and the kind of cases that are reviewed and decided, there are more of these judges from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals that go on to the U.S. Supreme Court than from any other federal circuit courts of appeal.

All three nominees are disasters as judges/justices. However, Brown's future seat upon the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals is more impactful upon us all. More so than the other two circuit courts of appeal of Pryor and Owen.

. . . . . . . .

.

[LightningFlash]

17. Oh dear this is not good at all....

Brown should never have been allowed through, the whole picture makes government corruption easier to cover up.

[Mountainman]

8. Kennedy's speech seems pretty funny to me.

He said, "Brown's record "shows a deep hostility to civil rights, to workers' rights, to consumer protection ..........."

Well that's just the kind of person the right wants as a judge. I suppose most repubs applauded his speech.

[AndyTiedye]

10. The "Deal" Was Probably the Best Surrender We Could Have Negotiated

When one is surrendering, the most one can usually hope for is
a meaningless face-saving gesture from the other side. That is
all we got. The Democrats in Washington are permitted to pretend
they still have some power, for another month or two, perhaps,
before the Repubs adminster the coupe-de-grace to the two-party
system for good.

[xchrom]

11. getting owens, brown, etc on the courts cannot

be construed as a loss for the repukes.

that's all i have to say.

[ngGale]

12. Lifetime appointments...

we told you so. Now they come to the conclusion it could have been a wrong move. For the life of me, I can't understand their reasoning.
The Rupubs won - all these judges are to the right of 'Attila the Hun.':hide:

[renaissanceguy]

15. Yup, Repugs got what they wanted

and Dems have the filibuster in theory but can't exercise it.

http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues/537124

[hang a left]

14. kick

[denverbill]

16. We give you everything you want and get nothing in return.

Yeah, THAT'S a compromise.

I can't wait to see how we 'compromise' on Social Security.