by So, it comes down to who has the votes. Senator Frist of Tennessee, R-TN, has stated that the Republicans will attempt confirm a filibustered judge tomorrow. In the case that the Democrats still decide to filibuster, Frist will seek a ruling from the presiding officer (in this case it will be Vice President Dick Cheney) that it only takes a majority vote of the members to confirm a judge, not a super majority of 60 to seek cloture on debate.
A lot of hand-wringing is going on in Republican circles that they might want to filibuster judges in the future, but the question is, when does this back and forth stop? When will our elected officials start doing what’s right for the country instead of what’s best for themselves?
It is only right and fair that a judge that makes it out of committee with a well qualified rating from the ABA get an up or down vote in the Senate. It is also right and fair that people there get a chance to vote on the person, and in a way that will appease their conscience and not their political party. In some ways, I wish there were more parties in Washington just so that people got to work getting things done (and more efficiently done) than spending time lining up and bullying people to vote one way or another.
I’m of the opinion that we elect people because they reflect us, not so that they’ll conduct polls back home or that they’ll be rewarded by special interest groups. Personally, I would like to find a way to devalue interest groups or that a member of government not be able to be pressured from groups that are not from their own state or region. I don’t know how that would work, but the people are there to represent
us. I don’t want to ban political speeches, people buying ads, or contributing to people. What I would like to do is make these representatives put more weight on what we say than thinking they can buy us, etc.
There’s a lot that’s wrong, and a lot that needs reform. Let’s start with these judges and the tyranny of the minority and work from there…
The minority in the senate really understands what’s at stake here. For years, liberal judges have been confirmed and we’re now seeing the fruits of that decision. The only reason they don’t want conservative judges to occupy benches is because the judicial branch is where they have a listening ear. If that avenue were to be diminished or cut off, then that would be a great blow to them.
But I agree, qualified candidates should be given an up or down vote. What amazes me is that few people don’t seem to think the attitude of the minority in the Senate doesn’t reflect a bias on their part to seat these open vacancies with activist judges sympathetic to their worldview.
The pendulum will swing. Conservatives and liberals will control who will be nominated for these positions again. It’s important to realize that having a conservative voice in these positions gives a better balance to the system than overloading them with liberal judges.