Senate Filibuster #2

[JohnS]

Apparently, the only way to become a judge in this country is to promote killing babies.

http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/12003c.asp

Senate Filibuster #2 Officially Under Way

By Fred Jackson and Jody Brown

May 1, 2003

(AgapePress) - The Democrats have done it again. They're refusing to allow a vote on another of President Bush's judicial nominees because of the person's conservative values.

As expected, Texas judge Priscilla Owen has joined Miguel Estrada on the Democratic Party's hit list of those they do not want to become federal judges. Just as they have done with Estrada, Democrats are applying the filibuster tactic to keep Owen's name from coming up for a full Senate vote.

Sixty votes are needed to overcome the filibuster; Thursday's count came in at 52-44. Democrats voting with the Republicans were Zell Miller of Georgia and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

The Republican chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah, is outraged.

"How do you call somebody who has the unanimous 'well qualified' rating from the American Bar Association out of the mainstream?" Hatch asks. "That's the height of absurdity, and it shows the ridiculousness of the arguments being used against her."

Another Republican senator from Owen's home state, Kay Bailey Hutchinson, remarks that the Texas judge has been "put in the political meat grinder" in the nation's capital. Hutchinson vows she will not rest until Owen gets better treatment.

According to Fox News, this is the first time two official filibusters against judicial nominees have occurred simultaneously in the Senate. Now that Democrats have been successful in blocking Owen's nomination, they say they are prepared to have three or more filibusters going at the same time.

Potential targets of additional filibusters likely will be nominees Charles Pickering of Mississippi, who has been nominated to the 5th Circuit, and Carolyn Kuhl of California, nominated to the liberal 9th Circuit in San Francisco.

Texas Senator John Cornyn announced this week that he plans to hold hearings in the coming days to find a way to reform Senate procedures. He says his personal view is that filibusters should be banned.

[brontosaurus]

Filibuster: Definition:

A Filibuster is the term used for an extended debate in the Senate which has the effect of preventing a vote. Senate rules contain no motion to force a vote. A vote occurs only once debate ends. The term comes from the early 19th century Spanish and Portuguese pirates, "filibusteros", who held ships hostage for ransom.

I don't know too much about filibusters but from what I've heard, I'm amazed they aren't banned yet.  Maybe someone else can give more information on it.

I heard once that several decades ago - a Senator, to prevent a vote from taking place, actually stood up and read directly out of an Encyclopedia for 51 days (I think that was the number of days) and he had every legal right to do so - no one could stop it!  What a waste of time!