Fargo Forum Blasts Dems on Filibuster Issue
ND NEWS
This from The Forum's editorial.
And they offer up some advice for the Democratic tag-team as well...
Here's what I think Senate Republicans should do at this point:
#1) Let the Dems filibuster their hearts out for a few weeks. It will get them loads of negative press and make them look like the babies they are to the American people.
#2) Eventually change the rules to an up or down vote.
This is a winnable PR fight for the Republicans. I think Americans side with the Right on one of the Left's big knocks on Priscilla Owens (parental consent for abortions on 12 year old children) and they should bring up the fact that a grand total of zero of Clinton's judicial nominees were denied an up or down vote because of a filibuster by Republicans.
I received a letter back from Kent Conrad (D-ND) after urging him not to filibuster these qualified nominees. His response suggests he will follow party lines on this issue. If he doesn't cross the line he will definitely be giving his 2006 challenger more ammo with which to attack.
That being said, I feel this whole hissy-fit on each side is just a build up to the real fight---the Supreme Court nominations later in the term, as early as this summer. That's when the real fighting will begin.
More on the issue from the guys over at TakingBackND here.
This from The Forum's editorial.
The Forum
North Dakota and Minnesota senators should vote for a U.S. Senate rule change that would allow an up/down simple majority vote on the president's judicial nominees. Or better yet, minority senators should scrap their filibuster altogether, thus avoiding a rule change tussle.
The use of the filibuster to block consideration of the nominees might be within the rules of the Senate. But using the 60-vote hurdle to prevent qualified nominees for U.S. circuit courts from a confirmation vote is at best abuse of the filibuster, at worst in-your-face obstructionism by minority Democrats.
And they offer up some advice for the Democratic tag-team as well...
Sens. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., should put partisan considerations aside and help secure a Senate vote for the president's choices for the circuit courts. If a few sensible Democrats vote with Republicans this week to return the filibuster to legitimacy, some of the tarnish might be polished off the Senate's image.
Here's what I think Senate Republicans should do at this point:
#1) Let the Dems filibuster their hearts out for a few weeks. It will get them loads of negative press and make them look like the babies they are to the American people.
#2) Eventually change the rules to an up or down vote.
This is a winnable PR fight for the Republicans. I think Americans side with the Right on one of the Left's big knocks on Priscilla Owens (parental consent for abortions on 12 year old children) and they should bring up the fact that a grand total of zero of Clinton's judicial nominees were denied an up or down vote because of a filibuster by Republicans.
I received a letter back from Kent Conrad (D-ND) after urging him not to filibuster these qualified nominees. His response suggests he will follow party lines on this issue. If he doesn't cross the line he will definitely be giving his 2006 challenger more ammo with which to attack.
That being said, I feel this whole hissy-fit on each side is just a build up to the real fight---the Supreme Court nominations later in the term, as early as this summer. That's when the real fighting will begin.
More on the issue from the guys over at TakingBackND here.
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