Memo from Counsel
In a blistering memorandum that was sent to reporters in the national media, former White House Counsel C. Boyden Gray, rails against the tactics Senate Democrats use on judicial nominees. Says Gray, President Bush has had the lowest number of Circuit Court judges confirmed of any modern President, because of tactics which represent "a repudiation of a settled pre-constitution understanding."
posted by E.L. Lipman | 3/01/2005 06:23:00 AM
I support the "Nuclear" option. In fact its not really a nuclear option at all, that is just a term made up by opponents to make the option sound destructive.
Democrats wouldn't think twice about breaking these filibusters. Senator Bryd used such procedural methods all the time during the 1980s. Republicans should be smart and bust the filibuster over judges now....long before a Supreme Court nominee comes up so it is not an issue when the Supreme Court nominee comes up.
Perhaps one of the many attorneys in the Society can educate me on why we talk about a filibuster without the old "Mr. Smith goes to Washington" talk-til-you-drop filibuster. My understanding is that the Senate dropped that some time ago.
Seems to me that there is an easy way to solve this short of the nuclear option. I'm worried that the 'nuculur' [sic] will come back to bite us at some point if we're ever in the minority again.
Why not go back to the REAL filibuster. If Senate Dems want to go to the mat, go through the physical and emotional pain of a talkathon and in doing so, stop all other Senate business, let's have at it. That would focus the nation on the issue. Are the Democrats really willing to stop all business in order to prevent an up or down VOTE? Aren't these the guys that want every vote to count? Bring it on....
As far as I understand it the Senate Rules require 60 votes to bring a vote. Thus, you no longer need to do the old filibuster.
We should not worry about the Nuclear option being used against us because we should assume that it WILL be used against us. Thus, what difference does it make.
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