Poor little victims

[TexasTiger 12,958]

Nobody loves to play the victim as much as the modern-day "conservative."

Frist Set to Use Religious Stage on Judicial Issue

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Published: April 15, 2005

ASHINGTON, April 14 - As the Senate heads toward a showdown over the rules governing judicial confirmations, Senator Bill Frist, the majority leader, has agreed to join a handful of prominent Christian conservatives in a telecast portraying Democrats as "against people of faith" for blocking President Bush's nominees.

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Fliers for the telecast, organized by the Family Research Council and scheduled to originate at a Kentucky megachurch the evening of April 24, call the day "Justice Sunday" and depict a young man holding a Bible in one hand and a gavel in the other. The flier does not name participants, but under the heading "the filibuster against people of faith," it reads: "The filibuster was once abused to protect racial bias, and it is now being used against people of faith."

Organizers say they hope to reach more than a million people by distributing the telecast to churches around the country, over the Internet and over Christian television and radio networks and stations.

Dr. Frist's spokesman said the senator's speech in the telecast would reflect his previous remarks on judicial appointments. In the past he has consistently balanced a determination "not to yield" on the president's nominees with appeals to the Democrats for compromise. He has distanced himself from the statements of others like the House majority leader, Tom DeLay, who have attacked the courts, saying they are too liberal, "run amok" or are hostile to Christianity.

The telecast, however, will put Dr. Frist in a very different context. Asked about Dr. Frist's participation in an event describing the filibuster "as against people of faith," his spokesman, Bob Stevenson, did not answer the question directly.

"Senator Frist is doing everything he can to ensure judicial nominees are treated fairly and that every senator has the opportunity to give the president their advice and consent through an up or down vote," Mr. Stevenson said, adding, "He has spoken to groups all across the nation to press that point, and as long as a minority of Democrats continue to block a vote, he will continue to do so."

Some of the nation's most influential evangelical Protestants are participating in the teleconference in Louisville, including Dr. James C. Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family; Chuck Colson, the born-again Watergate figure and founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries; and Dr. Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

The event is taking place as Democrats and Republicans alike are escalating their public relations campaigns in anticipation of an imminent confrontation. The Democratic minority has blocked confirmation of 10 of President Bush's judicial nominees by preventing Republicans from gaining the 60 votes needed to close debate, using the filibuster tactic often used by political minorities and most notoriously employed by opponents of civil rights.

Dr. Frist has threatened that the Republican majority might change the rules to require only a majority vote on nominees, and Democrats have vowed to bring Senate business to a standstill if he does.

On Thursday, one wavering Republican, Senator John McCain of Arizona, told a television interviewer, Chris Matthews, that he would vote against the change.

"By the way, when Bill Clinton was president, we, effectively, in the Judiciary Committee blocked a number of his nominees," Mr. McCain said

Independents like McCain because he is ususally honest and principled. Many Republicans get angry at McCain because...well, he is usually honest and principled.

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Independents like McCain because he is ususally honest and principled. Many Republicans get angry at McCain because...well, he is usually honest and principled.

Your forgot to add that they don't like McCain when he's wrong.

[jaydubb121 22]

This whole judge picking procedure should be revamped. It's ridiculous that these judicial nominees are left twisting in the wind because the Senate won't vote either way. They should be given the courtesy of a vote by the Senate, one way or the other.

I thought it was stupid when the Republicans were doing it to Clinton's nominees, and it's just as equally stupid now.

Have the freakin' votes. The American people should have the final say by voting for Senators and Congressman who put the kinds of judges you prefer in to positions. The filibustering is ridiculous.

In the interest of fair play they should change to majority votes, but not until the next President is elected. Then Bush could have the full eight years of being hamstrung by the Dems, just like Clinton was. Now that's leadership

[Piglet 0]

Independents like McCain because he is ususally honest and principled. Many Republicans get angry at McCain because...well, he is usually honest and principled.

You forgot to add that they don't like McCain when he's wrong.

Nahh, when he's wrong, they tend to like him more, because then he agrees with them.

[AURaptor 1,125]

McCain was dead wrong w/ Campaign Finance Reform. Unconditionally. It is a brazen strike against the 1st Amendment right to Free Speech. Period. On such positions, conservatives in the GOP don't care much for McCain.