As I’m sure you most of you know one of the liberals on the Supreme Court is retiring. Justice David Souter will step down once their recess begins. Rest assured, Obama will do his best to replace him with someone the left can count on, just as they did with Souter.
But the stakes are high and conservatives finally seem to be awakening from their slumber:
“Phone lines around Washington began burning this morning as conservative organizations kicked off preparations for the fight over President Obama’s eventual Supreme Court nominee.
Associate Justice David Souter’s decision to step down at the end of this term has awakened a long-dormant network of conservative organizations that will do their best to augment — and at times pressure — Senate Republican efforts to frame Obama’s eventual choice.
A group of more than 50 conservative groups held a conference call early Friday to begin plotting strategy, sources on the call said.
“You’re already having chatter between conservatives on who is going to be the nominee, what type of nominee is going to be put forward by President Obama,” said Brian Darling, the Heritage Foundation’s Senate director and a former top Judiciary Committee staffer.
Groups like the American Center for Law & Justice, the Coalition for a Fair Judiciary and the Committee for Justice will all prepare background research on potential nominees, setting up the eventual, inevitable attacks on the nominee as a left-wing extremist.
Those groups are gearing up for the first time since helping doom the nomination of former White House counsel Harriet Miers in President Bush’s second term and replacing her with Samuel Alito.
“We’ll be organized. We’re more organized than ever before,” said Jay Sekulow, the prominent conservative lawyer who heads the American Center for Law & Justice. “The reality is we’ve got quite a challenge here with a Democratic Senate that’s virtually filibuster-proof.”
Sekulow also pointed to the fact that Senate Republicans have yet to designate a point person on the nomination. The GOP lost its top judicial spokesperson this week when Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), who had been the ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, bolted for the Democratic Party.”
That last part is interesting in that some are speculating the Specter move could backfire for the Democrats seeing as how they need one member from each party to give their consent to move a nominee out of committee. Specter was the closet liberal the left counted on but now he’s gone they have to go looking for another vote.
Via Michael Dorf:
And so the question on everyone’s mind (okay, on my mind) is this: What will it take to change Senate Judiciary Committee Rule IV in the event that the post-Specter-shift Republicans decide to play hardball? In today’s Republican Party, Orrin Hatch and Lindsey Graham look like the best hopes to move Pres. Obama’s nominee to the full Senate.
But let’s suppose that the Republicans (now minus Specter) on the Judiciary Committee decide they want to filibuster Pres. Obama’s nominee (oh, i don’t know, let’s say Pam Karlan) in the Committee, recognizing that the Dems (either with Al Franken seated or with the cooperation of one of the Maine Senators) can break a filibuster in the full Senate. Senate Rule XXVI authorizes each committee to make its own rules, which is how we get Judiciary Committee Rule IV. That can be amended by the committee, but presumably the proposal to amend Rule IV would itself be subject to the Rule IV procedure, and so if the Republican members of the committee are unwilling to allow a vote on Justice Karlan, then they’re likely unwilling to allow a vote on an amendment to change Rule IV itself.
That leaves us with a couple of options: 1) Change Rule IV now, with the Chair deeming Specter still officially a Republican; 2) or change Senate Rule XXVI to limit the sorts of rules that a committee can employ. Each of these approaches would require Specter’s cooperation (or the cooperation of either or both of the Maine Senators in the case of the full Senate move).
Myself, I don’t see any of this happening. Graham or some other RINO will vote to get the leftist out of committee and then it’s on to the big fight. What does the fight mean:
[I]n coming years, Souter’s replacement may well provide the fifth vote for:
— the imposition of a federal constitutional right to same-sex marriage;
— stripping “under God” out of the Pledge of Allegiance and completely secularizing the public square;
— the continued abolition of the death penalty on the installment plan;
— selectively importing into the Court’s interpretation of the American Constitution the favored policies of Europe’s leftist elites;
— further judicial micromanagement of the government’s war powers; and
— the invention of a constitutional right to human cloning.
American citizens have various policy positions on all these issues, but everyone ought to agree that they are to be addressed and decided through the processes of representative government, not by judicial usurpation. And President Obama, who often talks a moderate game, should be made to pay a high price
I’m with Macsmind….it’s time to get down and dirty as the left has been for years. It’s that important.
Oh, and lets remember that Obama said a few years ago that the Senate should “advise AND consent, and that meaningful advise and consent includes and examination of the judges Philosophy, Ideology, and Record.”
The three rumored to be on the shortlist definitely need to have their philosophy, ideology, and record examined…because they are some of the most unqualified and most leftist nominee’s in recent memory.
See author page
“Phone lines around Washington began burning this morning as conservative organizations kicked off preparations for the fight over President Obama’s eventual Supreme Court nominee.”
It’s no surprise that Conservatives will be against any nominee the President brings forward, but it is surprising that Conservatives are advertising their fight over the EVENTUAL nominee now. Getting “down and dirty” and making ” preparations for the fight over President Obama’s eventual Supreme Court nominee.” is yet another sign that the relevance of the Republicans is so low at this point that this is all you have left in your quiver of options, seeing how you don’t have the votes to prevail on an up or down vote. I suppose that this does keep the base feeling like there is still a flicker of a flame left to hang their hats on…and we all know how important HOPE can be.
Coming out strongly against the SCOTUS nominee even before you know who it will be is a risky and desperate strategy, and does not bode well for the perception of the “party of no” to the reasonable swing voters on Main Street USA, many of whom Republicans have lost already.
Republicans have lost Specter, and have only a handful of moderates left in the Senate, those darn Rinos. Seems like many Conservatives would be happy to cull them out too, and while this will purify the party with nothing but good Conservative principles and is a noble principled stand to take, this will also leave you with little ability to be effectively representing the beliefs you hold in the government for the time being. Opposing the SCOTUS nominee before you even know who he or she is makes Republicans look like unreasonable sock puppet knee jerkers, best of luck with that strategy.
Moose:
Knowing Obama that he is a Communist deep down inside and doesn’t like anything this great country stands for. I predict he will nominate a flaming lib who will ignore the Constitution and cite their own personal beliefs and foreign law over the interpretation of the Constitution. 100 plus days later I can say Obama has done nothing to improve this country’s economy and has a disastrous foreign policy.
What will be the breaking point that will cause you to finally see Obama for who he really is? Will there ever come a time? 7 years from now, the interest of our national debt will be more then 800 billion(and that’s the low end figure) There is no end in site in unemployment and we will be experiencing inflation that haven’t seen since the late 70’s to early 80’s.
Obama want’s unilaterally disarm the US while terrorist nations like Iran and North Korea fire up their nuclear program while sit on our hands watching them progress. Obama want’s to do away with Missile defense shield that has been very successful and continue to pull the rug our from our troops by cutting defense spending and giving the money to ACORN and La Raza. Then Obama gives majority ownership of Chrysler to union thugs and 30% to GM because they are his cronies.
I’m am so glad that Spector has left the Republican party. That 80 year old man is so worried about his reelection he jumps ship and heads over the socialists party. The Republican party has got specter to where is today for the last 29 years. He has used us for his own gain so he’s worthless. In a few years after he’s gone…he will be forgotten like the rest of the moderates because they are just liberals and are useful idiots for the democrats. The rest of the moderates can go with him because they do more harm then good to the party.
Having a one party rule, bypassing the Constitution, and implementing unconstitutional programs like socialized medicine and controlling car companies and banks… I can’t decide if the Democrat party is the socialist party or Fascist. When will hit home for you? Is this what you want, a socialist nation that will be bankrupt in a few years?
Enjoy your majority while it lasts. We will be taking back the congress and then move to the white house. Will you come over to our side then when we have the majority? having Obama is like Carter…in order to get a Reagan you have to have a Carter.
Mooseburger,
Your post is hysterical. Thank you for the humor.
But I swear, you have changed my mind. I’ll just sit back and have nothing to say about the new justice. Conservatives, be aware. Disagreement is frowned upon by the new ruling class.
b1jetmech: Disagreement is one thing, already fighting against a nominee that you don’t even know who it is yet…is a strange position to take seriously.
As for all the Socialist Communist stuff you are throwing around, that worked so well in the last election, no reason to stop with it now….seriously, most folks aren’t buying it. Read the story about The Boy Who Cried Wolf, there is a lesson in there for some who sound the false alarm too often.
You said; “The rest of the moderates can go with him because they do more harm then good to the party.”
That’s all well and good if that is what you like, but someday, you might think about getting votes instead of Conservative purity. When elected representative are not allowed to represent their states or districts without being branded as moderates who do more harm than good, and are not welcome in the party, you might just wind up with Democrats or Independants in these States and districts. Not every area of the country is a safe conservative stronghold. You may have the moderates purged, but may end up with less representatives as a result.
You said: “I predict he will nominate a flaming lib who will ignore the Constitution and cite their own personal beliefs and foreign law over the interpretation of the Constitution.”
If the Conservatives take an opening position like that, the President might as well go ahead and nominate someone he wants and that they won’t like if he is going to have a huge fight over this anyway. It’s not like there would be any reasonable middle ground to work with from the start. It seems that Conservatives are embarked on a mission to undercut their own electability by culling the impure from the group and compromise the very values they are fighting for by not being in a position to have enough representative to pursue their agenda and fight against the ones they are against.
I am getting a bit tired of libs telling us what they think we need to do to win. If only we would be more like them they say. If only we would drop our values on social issues with which they disagree.
Sorry Mossy, but very few of us think you actually are trying to do us a favor by suggesting we be more like you in order to win.
Why should a voter intent on voting for a liberal vote for a liberal-lite?
Mooseburger –
SCOTUS Idol .So You Think You Can Super Judge. Judging With The Stars.
Its Entertainment.
Its all happening -join in .
b1jetmech:
So you are saying Obama is a communist and the democrats are socialists…
Did you pay attention at all to the last election? Did you learn anything?
“I can’t decide if the Democrat party is the socialist party or Fascist.”
Nobody buys that BS! except a few idiots on FA.
Real American: everyone bought what Hitler was selling. Maybe its good to be the one that isn’t buying. Maybe those idiots that you refer to, are the ones that see the lies for what they are worth. I am not pro-Bush, I am not pro-Government, I am definitely not pro-Obama. I hate that it has gotten to the point where I am voting for the ‘best of the worst’.
Your party on the other hand, seem to view our president as the savior. Hitler and Stalin were also saviors to their people. The only thing that has changed since then, is that wide spread (out in the open) massacring of people, is frowned upon. Instead, make it a persons right to kill the inconvenient and now it is a matter of law and policy. Not right and wrong. Stand against a policy like torture and a war in Iraq, now you have balanced the tables to include a moral high ground. Define a fetus as a ‘mothers property’, now she can do with it as she would any other belonging. Rationalization is a tool of evil, but in the eyes of most liberals, a tool of good and justice. It is the vital nutrition of existentialism and moral relativity.
I’d be a sheeeeet load more worried if it were Roberts, Alito, Scalia or Thomas that were retiring. I’m ready to pump vites into those guys to keep them healthy.
Oh, Mike #5? Took the words right out of my mouth. So much casual friendly advice as to how to make a tent bigger. uh huh….
CRAP, I paid attention to the last election. I saw a lot of really stupid voters who figured they were going to get free health care, instant new energy grids, clean air, and a planet no longer “warming”, a kumbaya world, and a rapidly recovering economy … and all with the same earning power as they used to enjoy.
So you had happy progressives/communists who voted for a guy associated with the socialist New Party in his youth, and ACORN, which gets it’s little intimidation bus tours planned by their alliance with the communist/socialist family party derivative of the New Party. Then you had those who believed they were centrists, and never believed Obama would lurch radically left. Then you had the real dumb arses who voted for a “historic” moment and because of race.
Yep… I paid attention. Didn’t do much for my faith in mankind. Maybe you progressives are right… people are too stupid to make wise decisions for themselves. This last election surely adds credibility to that argument.
moose:
You don’t have to explain to us the liberal view of our short comings. That is what got the Republicans to where they are now.
Do you think the Republican party was in any good shape in the aftermath of Nixon’s impeachment? Heck No, It was in worse shape that is was today. It was the same situation when Reagan was told by moderates to drop out instead he pressed onand won a landslide in 80′ and won another landslide in 84′.
The democrats think they have the monopoly on “Big Tent” philosophy, they don’t. What the democrats describe as their big tent is to first divide citizens up into ethnic groups, income classes sexual behavior, socialists, communists and so on. Then they are recombine with the big tent brand brought to you by the democrat party.
The Conservative/republican approach is different then that. Our big tent is summed up in one word….”Freedom”. Our big tent does not look people and divide them on income, ethnicity, class. We believe that we all are bonded with freedom. No matter what walk of life we originate from our result is the melting pot of freedom. We don’t care the skin color, the background, we share the goal of the American dream.
The democrat way originated with Carl Marx. First the classes are divided up then the lower class is used and exploited to gain control because they are the greatest numbers. that is all the leaders of the democrats talk about is how the rich, the white man have wronged the lower class and were getting back at them. Its putting the Proletarians against the Bourgeois.
The modern democrat party is the party of division because they need to create division to morph into a crisis, and a crisis is a terrible thing to waste. The democrats never want problems to be solved, if so then they will go out of business. Think Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton hope for racism to disappear? NO! because they will be out out of work and lose their power at the democrat table.
Calling Obama a communist is accurate because he wishes to centralized power to the federal government. You think we are naive and dumb and just throwing words around because we disagree with him…ABSOLUTELY NOT! We saw Obama for what he was with his friendship Bill Ayers, American Hating Jeremiah Wright and others to display his inner self while his supporters are taken back back by his pop culture magnetism.
If you cannot judge actions then I feel sorry for you because you are living in a dream world of utopia with reality about to strike.
real american p*****t:
Do you have the ability to discern a national government taking over private industry? Do you need educated to know the signs of such tyrannical moves by a national government so you can decide for yourself?
Or, are you a Proletarian who is bent on seeing this society transformed into a socialists one?
If you can’t see the government take over of healthcare, car companies, soon oil companies, the banking system.This is straight out of Carl Marx’s Communist manifesto. So we are not throwing Communist around like you think we are.
After hearing you and mooseburger’s defense on Obama, reminds me of the true story of the Gulag prisoners weeping when they heard of Stalin’s death.
cRAP: If you didn’t read Liam’s Post #8, you should. I’ll wait………..What he said, plus what Mata said in Post #9. A great orator plus an incredibly stupid electorate equals Communist President.