NYT:Casting Angry Eye on Cts, Conservatives Prime for Bench-Clearing Brawl

[DeepModem Mom]

Casting Angry Eye on Courts, Conservatives Prime for Bench-Clearing Brawl in Congress
By CARL HULSE and DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK

Published: March 23, 2005


WASHINGTON, March 22 - The intense fight in the Terri Schiavo case is injecting another explosive element into the coming Senate showdown over President Bush's choices for federal judgeships as well as into future battles to fill Supreme Court vacancies.

The Republican-led effort to circumvent a state court order to disconnect Ms. Schiavo's feeding tube, combined with a federal judge's refusal on Tuesday morning to countermand that order, has crystallized issues in the judicial debate in a compelling and singular public way, Republicans and Democrats alike said.

Conservatives, already disdainful of the way judges have handled subjects like same-sex marriage and abortion, say the court treatment of the Schiavo case illustrates a judiciary that is willing to ignore the will of the public and elected officials....

***

To Democrats, the week's maneuvers by Republicans provide mounting evidence of their unwillingness to accept the independence of the courts and demonstrate a headstrong will to change Senate rules to ensure the installment of archconservatives to the federal bench....

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Mr. Schumer and Mr. Kennedy say they hope the handling of the Schiavo matter will spark second thoughts among moderate Republican senators who could cast the deciding votes on whether to change Senate rules to prohibit filibusters against judicial candidates. The confrontation could come early next month if Republicans try to force a floor vote on one of the appeals court nominations sent back to the Senate after being blocked by Democrats last year....


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/23/politics/23cong.html?oref=login

[jasmeel]

1. As stated on The Daily Show-neither checks nor balances will

be tolerated.

[LongTomH]

3. Checks will be tolerated

if they're big enough!

[DeepModem Mom]

4. You got that right, LTH!

[Nite Owl]

2. This was never about

Terri it's been about their agenda to pack the courts with right wing judges. We have a good chance to frame this debate I hope that the Dems will seize this opportunity.