Bush Renominates Judicial Picks

[kurth]

Bush Renominates Judicial Picks
Fight With Senate Democrats Over Blocked Candidates Appears Likely
By Peter Baker
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 16, 2006; A03

President Bush renominated six previously blocked candidates for federal appeals court yesterday, triggering the first real battle with ascendant Democrats since the midterm elections and signaling what could be the start of a fierce two-year struggle over the shape of the federal judiciary. The move heartened conservatives who worried that Bush would scale back his ambition to move courts to the right and outraged liberals, who called it a violation of the spirit of bipartisanship promised since Democrats captured Congress. Both sides saw it as a possible harbinger for the remainder of Bush's presidency, particularly if a Supreme Court vacancy opens.

The decision to send back the six nominees, along with four new candidates for the bench, was a provocative maneuver intended to signal that Bush does not plan to cower in the face of an opposition Congress, because the Senate almost certainly will not act on them in the lame-duck session that adjourns next month. If Bush wants to keep pushing for these nominations, he will have to resubmit them in January, when the Senate reconvenes with a 51-vote Democratic majority. "We are hopeful that the days of judicial obstruction are behind us," said White House spokeswoman Emily Lawrimore. Noting that a Republican Senate confirmed 15 of Bill Clinton's nominees to the federal appeals bench in his last two years as president, she added: "We are hopeful that President Bush's nominees will receive a fair up-or-down vote."

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said none of the six would be confirmed. "It's a real slap in the face," he said by telephone. "It basically makes you think the talk of bipartisanship is just talk. . . . I guess it's a sop to the right, but if he's going to keep doing sops to the right, it means they didn't pay attention to the results of the election." ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/15/AR2006111501396.html

[BootinUp]

1. What an asshat n/t

[Blackhatjack]

2. Yeah, But Comm CHair Spector Said They will NOT move in lame duck session...n/t

[warrens]

3. Send them all to the scrap heap

Do exactly what the repukes did to Clinton...refuse them all and let a Dem fill the vacancies in 08. Unless he starts offering moderate judges.

[zbdent]

4. Rather interesting that they point out that "Republicans confirmed 15

of Bill Clinton's nominees" during the last two years of his term ... at that point, Repukes were on the way out (from their apex of control 1/3/1995) and Dems were on the rise ...

Now, the Dems have retaken control (well after all the whooping and champagne corks popping during the last two elections), and all of a sudden the obnoxious bullies are begging the Dems to "play fair" ...

[Beelzebud]

5. See this gives Dems a chance to be bi-partisan!

/me pukes all over George W. Bush...