I have no particular warm spot in my heart for the filibuster. I don’t particularly loathe it either. I just view it as one of many silly and arcane congressional rules that has been around for decades, like the entire committee process which can effectively kill bills from even being considered. If I could make the rules for Congress, I … Read More
Frist Chokes Bigtime
Shorter Frist: Single judicial filibusters are constitutional, but judicial filibusters of more-than-one judge is not. This morning on the floor of the Senate, Sen. Chuck Schumer asked Majority Leader Bill Frist a simple question: SEN. SCHUMER: Isn’t it correct that on March 8, 2000, my colleague [Sen. Frist] voted to uphold the filibuster of Judge Richard Paez? Here was Frist’s … Read More
Hiding From The Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Trall
Uses for a towel: “wrap it round your head to ward off noxious fumes or avoid the gaze of the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Trall (a mind-bogglingly stupid animal, it assumes that if you can’t see it, it can’t see you–daft as a brush, but very very ravenous).”—from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Apparently, HGTG is a book read by … Read More
GOP Titanic Sinking — Repubs Blame Newsweek
Poll taken 5/11-15. Margin of Error=4%. (March 2005 results in parentheses) Bush approval ratings Approve 43 (49) Disapprove 50 (46) Congressional Republicans Approve 35 (39) Disapprove 50 (44) Congressional Democrats Approve 39 (37) Disapprove 41 (44) Latest Pew Poll From social security bamboozlement to Schiavo to “nuclear options” to Delay to hyperkinetic ‘blame the media” fits, the American public knows … Read More
Stem Cells
Excellent news on the stem cell front: even Republicans want to ditch George Bush’s lame and indefensible restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. In a recent poll of Republicans — in which 90% approved of Bush’s performance in general — a solid 57% said they favored embryonic stem cell research. What will Bush do? Legislation to open up stem cell … Read More
Hello, Ladies!
"A Democratic polling memo released yesterday found that women, who voted for President Bush last year in large numbers, have begun migrating back to their traditional home in the Democratic Party as the public’s agenda has shifted from homeland security and terrorism to domestic concerns such as jobs and the economy," the Washington Post reports.
In My Neck Of The Woods
WAYNESVILLE, N.C. — A pastor of a small Baptist church led an effort to kick out church members because they didn’t support President Bush, members said. The nine members were voted out at a Monday meeting of the East Waynesville Baptist Church in this mountain town about 120 miles west of Charlotte. WLOS-TV in Asheville reported that 40 other members … Read More
Dictating Moral Convictions
Log Cabin Republican Andrew Sullivan speaks out about the mindset of the religious right: "However, on religious issues there can be little or no compromise. There is no position on which people are so immovable as their religious beliefs. There is no more powerful ally one can claim in a debate than Jesus Christ, or God, or Allah, or whatever … Read More
The Nuclear Compromise Revisited
You know what I posted here about the Nuclear Compromise? Turns out my tea-leaf reading was wrong. Kos explains why: So Frist says: Reacting to a Democratic offer in the fight over filibusters, Republican leader Bill Frist said Tuesday he isn’t interested in any deal that fails to ensure Senate confirmation for all of President Bush’s judicial nominees. Reid just … Read More
The Nuclear Compromise
I’ll let Josh Marshall set the stage and share his thoughts: The Washington Post and other news outlets tonight are reporting that Senate Democrats are hinting about a possible compromise on judges — specifically, that they might cut a deal that would allow two or more of the seven filibustered judges to go through. This in turn has caused splutters … Read More
WHO Is Against People Of Faith?
This past weekend, there was a liberal-bashing conference put on by Family Research Council in which it was said — falsely — that Democrats are against "people of faith", particularly judges. It’s an insidious lie. Most Democrats are people of faith; we just don’t believe that our faith (or anybody else’s) should be incorporated into laws and public policy (because … Read More
IOKIYAR
Digby posts about the "It’s Okay If You’re A Republican" phenomenon, and hits the nail on the head. I’ve boldened the best bits . . . Matt Yglesias wonders why the Republicans have been so blase about nominees lying outright to the Senate during their confirmation hearings when they may very well be at the mercy of Democrats in the … Read More
Oh, the Irony!
"The time has come that the American people know exactly what their representatives are doing here in Washington. Are they feeding at the public trough, taking lobbyist-paid vacations, getting wined and dined by special-interest groups? Or are they working hard to represent their constituents? The people, the American people, have a right to know. I say the best disinfectant is … Read More
A Link-o-riffic List
Top 10 Reasons Why Bolton Should Not Be Confirmed As U.S. Ambassador To the United Nations: 10. He hates the UN. He’s said that the U.S. should be the only country on the UNSC, that the UN building could be shaved of 10 stories without it making a difference, etc. Check here for direct quotes. 9. He doesn’t believe in … Read More
Dumb DeLay Quote Du Jour
Amazingly, Tom DeLay is going after Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy. Apparently, DeLay is ignorant of the fact that Kennedy was a Reagan appointtee, and while occasionally a "swing vote", he is undisputably right-of-center. But DeLay really steps in the steamy hot Texas cow manure when he says this: “We’ve got Justice Kennedy writing decisions based upon international law, not … Read More