Senate GOP Readies for Pickering Showdown

[Khephra]

WASHINGTON -- After more than two years of waiting, Mississippi judge Charles Pickering will get a Senate vote this week on his nomination to a federal appeals court.

But Senate Democrats are expected to use the vote Thursday to begin filibustering to block Pickering, who wants a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

Senate Republicans said Tuesday night they would force a filibuster vote Thursday on Pickering, who was one of President Bush's first judicial nominees in 2001.

more..........

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-senate-pickering,0,2771434.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[Rowdyboy]

1. Iraq is in meltdown, the economy is tanking,

none of their major congressional initiatives are even close to passage, the entire government is unfunded because of REPUBLICAN infighting, and they want to have a showdown over a yahoo, red-neck southern-Baptist jude that they know they'll lose. And this is governing?

BTW, my mom went to high school with Charles Pickering and despised him. She said he was very arrogant (daddy had money) and had little to do with the kids who didn't.

[Skittles]

2. man, those f***ers are RELENTLESS

LOL, your mom's description sounds like every member of Bush Inc.

[bluestateguy]

3. I know why they are doing this now

They want to shore up the Republican base in the Mississippi Gov. race. The story will be ignored nationwide, but will get a lot of pub in Mississippi and Haley Barbour and the Goopers will try to use it as a bloody shirt to rally the Republican faithful and put Gov. Musgrove on the defensive.

[Rowdyboy]

4. Of course, they're trying to drive that point home

but, the Democratic Governor who's running for re-election has endorsed Pickering (he really didn't have much choice) so its not really gonna be a big factor. Still, in a race as close as this one, every few votes count.