Big Filibuster Lie

[DKW 86 7,441]

Big lie on filibuster:

Democrats are subverting Senate role

THE MISINFORMATION being spread about the current abuse of the filibuster to block U.S. judicial nominations is awesome. Given the importance of the fight, however, it is not surprising.

The idea that the Senate Democrats are merely employing the "checks and balances" built into our system of government is hogwash and insulting to the intelligence of the American people.

It is our three distinct branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial — that hold each other in check and balance. What the Democratic Party is doing is to misuse the filibuster rule so that a minority in the Senate can frustrate that branch from its constitutional duty of providing "advice and consent" to the President on appointments.

How can the Senate advise the President if it cannot even be allowed to vote on his nominations?

Further, the claim that Republicans have misused the filibuster to similarly block up-or-down votes on judicial nominations is also hogwash. The Republicans have played by the rules. They have defeated judicial nominations by up-or-down votes, either in committee or before the full Senate. The single instance in modern times when they employed a filibuster was in the celebrated case of Justice Abe Fortas, whom members of Lyndon Johnson's own majority Democrats couldn't stand, either.

Neither the Senate nor the Constitution envisioned use of the filibuster to halt up-or-down votes on judicial appointments. It is the Democrats who are breaking the rules and the Republicans have finally come close to calling them on it. If a deal is not struck soon, the GOP is prepared to rule this chicanery "out of order," which it most assuredly is.

New Hampshire Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu understand what is at stake here. The Democrats are trying to thwart the will of the voters, who want judicial extremism stopped. With more than one U.S. Supreme Court appointment in the offing, this is a fight that must be won now.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

Big lie on filibuster:

Democrats are subverting Senate role

THE MISINFORMATION being spread about the current abuse of the filibuster to block U.S. judicial nominations is awesome. Given the importance of the fight, however, it is not surprising.

The idea that the Senate Democrats are merely employing the "checks and balances" built into our system of government is hogwash and insulting to the intelligence of the American people.

It is our three distinct branches of government — executive, legislative, and judicial — that hold each other in check and balance. What the Democratic Party is doing is to misuse the filibuster rule so that a minority in the Senate can frustrate that branch from its constitutional duty of providing "advice and consent" to the President on appointments.

How can the Senate advise the President if it cannot even be allowed to vote on his nominations?

Further, the claim that Republicans have misused the filibuster to similarly block up-or-down votes on judicial nominations is also hogwash. The Republicans have played by the rules. They have defeated judicial nominations by up-or-down votes, either in committee or before the full Senate. The single instance in modern times when they employed a filibuster was in the celebrated case of Justice Abe Fortas, whom members of Lyndon Johnson's own majority Democrats couldn't stand, either.

Neither the Senate nor the Constitution envisioned use of the filibuster to halt up-or-down votes on judicial appointments. It is the Democrats who are breaking the rules and the Republicans have finally come close to calling them on it. If a deal is not struck soon, the GOP is prepared to rule this chicanery "out of order," which it most assuredly is.

New Hampshire Senators Judd Gregg and John Sununu understand what is at stake here. The Democrats are trying to thwart the will of the voters, who want judicial extremism stopped. With more than one U.S. Supreme Court appointment in the offing, this is a fight that must be won now.

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That article is a big lie on the filibuster, alright. Republican Chuck Hagel knows the truth:

But he noted that Republicans prevented votes on many of President Clinton's choices for the federal bench.

"The Republicans' hands aren't clean on this either. What we did with Bill Clinton's nominees -- about 62 of them -- we just didn't give them votes in committee or we didn't bring them up," Hagel said.

If you're looking for a dishonest, unprincipled media outlet to point your finger out, you found it.

[AURaptor 1,126]

If you're looking for a dishonest, unprincipled media outlet to point your finger out, you found it

CBS?

[DKW 86 7,441]

If you're looking for a dishonest, unprincipled media outlet to point your finger out, you found it

CBS?

159795[/snapback]

Here let me try...

[Auburn85 432]

Now if we can just stop from having our tax dollars fund PBS

[TrueBlue72 0]

The difference, TA, is that the Republicans had the majority and every right to use that majority. To equate using a party's majority on committee to prevent a vote (that would not likely confirm the nominee anyway) with using the filibuster by a MINORITY party to deny a vote, is PURE NONSENSE!!!