VIDEO
http://beta.redlasso.com/Community/ClipPlayer.aspx?i=8d314ed8-57a0-4427-bfe7-f652600f7683

If DNC-minority Congress was not willing to block bills to defend the Constitution, why was there no legal action by the State AG’s to prosecute this President?

Not impressed with the excuses: A minority GOP party should be an xample to the DNC what it could have done. Why is the DNC — with this gridlock — not willing to impeach the President?

RNC is lying. The Committees could zero-out the budgets during markups. This means: The bill would have zeroes in it, before it reached the Senate Floor.

This means; For the GOP or President to get any money, the GOP would have to pass an Amendment. Filisbustering and votoes don’t add money.

The Way To Chnage Course In Iraq Is To Zero-Out Fundings In Committee

Note the disingenuousness of this remark. As already noted above and elsewhere, Republican Senators blocked far more of Clinton’s nominees than Democratic Senators were able to do with Bush’s. They were able to do so because of the Judiciary Committee rules that allowed as little as just one Senator to block a nominee, often permanently. The Republicans, for the most part, didn’t need to filibuster, since they had other tools at their disposal, tools that they made ample use of while Clinton was in office, and tools that they promptly and unilaterally removed once a Republican took the White House. And even with these tools, they still tried to filibuster six of Clinton’s nominees.

It’s no wonder m12 ducked and ran instead of sticking around. With talking points as asinine as this, he never had a chance.

Senator Lott, in a Roll Call article from April 18: “The strategy of being obstructionist can work or fail … so far it’s working for us.”

Okay, but at least these are wildly unpopular bills that nobody wants, right?

From data compiled by Harry Reid:

EIGHT times Republican obstruction tactics slowed critical legislation

Fulfilling the 9/11 Commission Recommendations (Passed 97-0, Roll Call Vote #53)
Improving security at our courts (Passed 93-3, Roll Call Vote #133)
Water Resources Development Act (Passed 89-7, Roll Call Vote #162)
A joint resolution to revise U.S. policy in Iraq (Passed 89-9, Roll Call Vote, #74)
Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Passed 69-23, Roll Call Vote #173)
Comprehensive Immigration Reform (Passed 64-35, Roll Call Vote #228)
CLEAN Energy Act (Passed 91-0, Roll Call Vote #208)
Funding for the Intelligence Community (Passed 94-3, Roll Call Vote #129)

FOUR times Republicans blocked legislation from being debated

Senate Republicans blocked raising the minimum wage. (54-43, Roll Call Vote #23)
Senate Republicans blocked ethics reforms (Rejected 51-46, Roll Call Vote #16)
Senate Republicans blocked comprehensive immigration reform (Rejected 45-50, Roll Call Vote #206)
Senate Republicans blocked funding for renewable energy (Rejected 57-36, Roll Call Vote #223)

FOUR times Republicans stopped bills from reaching a vote

Senate Republicans blocked funding for the intelligence community. (Rejected 41-40, Roll Call Vote #130)
Senate Republicans blocked raising the minimum wage. (54-43, Roll Call Vote #23)
Senate Republicans blocked ethics reforms (Rejected 51-46, Roll Call Vote #16)
Senate Republicans blocked funding for renewable energy (Rejected 57-36, Roll Call Vote #223)

TWICE Republicans blocked bills from going to conference

Senate Republicans blocked appointing conferees on the 9/11 Commission Recommendations (6/26/07)
Senate Republicans blocked appointing conferees on ethics reform (6/26/07)

93-94: 80 cloture motions filed
95-96: 82
97-98: 69
99-00: 71
01-02: 72
03-04: 62
05-06: 68

So far, everything seems fairly reasonable, although if you look back a bit further, you’ll find that 93-94 marked a fairly significant increase from preceding years. That’s not really all that germane to the discussion, though; click the link if you’re curious.

So how many motions have been filed in 2007? 49. That doesn’t sound too bad until you realize that we’re just halfway through the first year of the current two-year Congressional term. We’re on track to nearly triple the number of cloture motions filed by Democrats in the preceding terms. Hmm… sounds like Republicans don’t really have a problem with filibusters after all, do they?

Then isn’t it strange that he’d rather filibuster it than give it the “serious consideration” he insists it “deserves.”

“While Republicans are focused on the dangers posed by al Qaeda in Iraq, and the warnings that the United Nations and Baker-Hamilton Commission have given in recent days about the consequences of withdrawal, Democrats plan to spend the next 24 hours in what they have described as a ‘publicity stunt.’ This issue is far too serious to waste the next day on ‘publicity stunts.’ This is a serious issue, and deserves serious consideration.

“Our enemies aren’t threatened by talk-a-thons, and our troops deserve better than publicity stunts.”

As we head into the administration’s final 18 months, it appears that, with the Democrats running the Senate, Bush, who has put 278 district and appeals court judges on the bench, has virtually no chance of besting Bill Clinton’s 370 appointments to those courts

…

When the Senate left town in December 2000, there were 67 judicial vacancies. Clinton had nominated 41 people for those jobs, but they were stalled. The Senate confirmed only 62 judges, including for the appellate courts, during the final 15 months of Clinton’s presidency.

So yes, Bush had had fewer nominees accepted than did Clinton, but that’s because he has had fewer openings to fill. And note that last paragraph about Republican obstructionism during the final months of Clinton’s term. Think m12 will remember that the next time he posts on this subject?

Senator Patrick Leahy has a bit to say on this, as well, in several posts at the link. Among other things, he states that there are currently 47 judicial vacancies and Bush has sent only 22 nominations for those vacancies.

Suffice to say that m12 was, as usual, full of crap.

Comment by PaulB — July 17, 2007 @ 4:11 pm

Don’t be so modest. Sure. He’s12 was waaaaay outclassed (whether he’s aware of it or not, who knows) but you brought your A game anyway. Always a pleasure to be a part of or just witness your civilized, reasoned arguments.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said Sen. Frist has a proven track record of getting nominees through the confirmation process.

“Sen. Frist was successful in breaking the judicial logjam in the Senate and enabling President Bush to get nearly 90 percent of his judicial nominees confirmed,” Sen. Alexander said. “That’s the highest confirmation rate of federal judges since President Reagan.”

Currently 95 percent of all judgeships are filled, including 92 percent of all circuit court judgeships and 95.3 percent of all district court judgeships, records show.

Since Sen. Frist became majority leader, the Senate has confirmed two Supreme Court justices, 33 circuit Court judges, and 121 District Court judges.

The current 5 percent vacancy rate in federal judgeships is less than half the 14 percent rate when Sen. Frist became majority leader.

Sen. Frist, who is leaving the Senate this year, said his judicial confirmation record would be one of his legacies.

“We broke the back of the filibuster after 10 consecutive judges were filibustered,” Sen. Frist said.

So, contrary to m12’s assertions above, Senate Republicans themselves were actually boasting of their prowess in getting nominations confirmed during the same time period that m12 insisted that Democrats were successfully blocking them! I think we’ve laid dear little m12’s arguments to rest, once and for all, don’t you?

(clap! clap! clap!)

To reiterate:

1. In both cases, this is Constitutionally-mandated Senate activity.

2. In both cases, the Constitution does not explicitly state the number of votes required for passage.

3. In both cases, the rules for debate and passage are left to the Senate.

4. In both cases, the minority is blocking the will of the majority.

5. In both cases, the minority is preventing an “up or down” vote.

6. In both cases, such tactics have been employed several times in the past.

When charged with crimes, they wanted to be sure to appear before judges who were friendly to them.