Ex-Democratic Leader Joins Battle Over Judges (Reuters)

Ex-Democratic Leader Joins Battle Over Judges

Sat Apr 2, 2005 11:09 AM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell on Saturday joined a Democratic offensive against Republicans threats to ban Senate filibusters of judicial nominees. "All Americans should be concerned about the effort by Republican leaders in the Senate to unilaterally change the rules," Mitchell said in delivering the Democrats' weekly radio address. "They call it their 'nuclear option.' It's an apt name because it will destroy any hope of bipartisanship and permanently change the Senate for the worse," said Mitchell, who served as majority leader from 1989 to 1995.

Democrats have helped confirm 204 of President Bush's judicial candidates, but blocked 10 others with procedural hurdles known as filibusters. Republicans argue all nominees deserve a Senate confirmation vote, and have threatened to change the rules to ban filibusters.

Democrats contend such a move would undermine a needed check on presidential power by the Senate minority. Mitchell said: "Our system of checks and balances is in place for a very good reason. It works. It protects all Americans."

"During the six years that I served as Senate majority leader, Republicans often used filibusters to achieve their objectives," Mitchell said. "I didn't always agree with the results, but I accepted them and we were able to work together on many important issues." Republicans hold 55 of the 100 Senate seats. Yet it is unclear if they can muster the 51 votes needed to change the rules. Several moderate Republicans have voiced concerns.

© Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved.

Wake up in time. It's okay for a politician to vote againt the interests of his/her "party," our so-called Dem leaders do it all the time.

"our so-called Dem leaders do it all the time"

I hope the moderate republicans wake up soon time. Good Lord, it's not like there haven't been alarms going off for years.

Those so-called "moderate" republicans haven't broken ranks in quite a while now...

Schiavo debacle will change their minds.

don't the Pubs realize that there will come a day when they won't be in the majority, and THEY will be on the bad side of this rule?

It wasn't long ago that the Dems voted to eliminate the "Special Presecuter rule" and now we're wishing it still existed.

I can't believe ALL the Pubs think they will be in control forever!

Jesus comes back, which I think is supposed to be next Thursday. Then they'll be in heaven, where God is Tom DeLay's identical twin, while all of us spend eternity in hell getting raked over hot coals by Hillary Clinton and Barney Frank.

But then I checked your profile- 2 posts in 3 years? I guess you mostly lurk. :)

...or Election.

And I think the "Special Prosecute rule" was up for renewal, and it just didn't get renewed.

I think they knew they had already pushed their luck with how much muckraking we could take.

...Rove has promised a GOP "reign without end". He's sworn to virtually elminate the Democratic party, and all opposition to their agenda. Not all believe it, but enough do because Rove is a scary SOB that will stop at nothing to gain and retain power. 3000 lives, 1500 lives, 10 thousand, makes not a bit of difference to him.

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He was an excellent Majority Leader.

on Daily Kos, this may begin tomorrow.

Bill Frist has targeted his first move on bringing to the Senate floor the nominations that may trigger the "nuclear option" for this month, possibly as soon as Monday.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/4/2/124143/9218

Also stated by Mitchell in Democrats radio address:

Neither I nor any other senator, Republican or Democrat, ever dreamed of taking the kind of drastic action now being proposed... We had the power to do so, but we refrained from exercising that power because it was as wrong then as it is now. The end does not justify the means.

Interesting to see what the Democrats do if this takes place. Will Reed shut down the government?

,but blocked 10 others with procedural hurdles known as filibusters."


LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT.

This is the mantra.

We all should be on our toes right now.