http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,365698,00.html
Senate GOP Continues Efforts to Block Democrats, Force Judge Votes
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
WA****NGTON — Republicans aren't letting up on their assault on Senate
operations as a means of sup****ting President Bush's judicial
nominees.
In the name of confirming a handful of Bush's remaining picks for the
federal appeals courts, in recent days the Senate GOP has jammed up
the Democratic-run floor by first having clerks spend nearly eight
hours reading out loud a 500-page global warming bill and then
shutting down the chamber for about an hour with another delay tactic.
Following up on a promise to keep gumming up the process until he gets
his votes, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., did it again
Wednesday. He wielded a rule that shuts down Senate committees after
two hours if any senator raises an objection. To get around the rule,
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has to call a recess — in essence,
shut down the Senate floor — to let the committees continue meeting.
On Tuesday, Reid called a recess to let a Judiciary Committee meeting
run its course.
So far, the Senate has only confirmed eight federal circuit court
nominees over the last two years. With a Democratic-led Congress and a
Republican White House, the final months of the Bush administration
are expected to be a difficult time to gain confirmations for these
particular judges, who receive lifetime appointments.
The average number of confirmations for the final two years of the
last three presidencies is 17. Clinton had the lowest number in his
last two years: just 15 appeals court nominations.
McConnell aides say he will make good on his threat to slow things
down unless Reid keeps his word: to confirm 15 federal circuit judges
before the end of President Bush's term.
Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on two
such nominees, Helene White and Raymond Kethledge. The nominees aren't
high on the Republicans' agenda, but it's unclear what will happen in
the committee at this point.
Republicans already have put off a vote once on White and Kethledge,
so Thursday should see a vote on them. Republicans point to nominees
like Peter Keissler — who has been waiting for years for confirmation
— as their priorities, but Democrats are pu****ng White because she
first was nominated by President Clinton during a Republican-led
Senate but never received a vote.
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