Bush Puts Conservative on Court, Bypasses Congress

[eaprez]

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4406494

Bush Puts Conservative on Court, Bypasses Congress
Fri February 20, 2004 05:33 PM ET
(Page 1 of 2)
By Caren Bohan and Jackie Frank

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush said on Friday he had installed Alabama Attorney General William Pryor on an Atlanta appeals court, the second time this year he has bypassed Congress on a judicial selection.

"I am proud to name this leading American lawyer to the appellate bench," Bush said in a statement.

Pryor, an outspoken foe of abortion rights, was blocked by Democrats when Bush first nominated him 10 months ago. But the president used a "recess appointment" -- naming him while Congress was on a five-day break -- to circumvent Senate approval.

Democrats accuse Bush of trying to stack the federal courts with like-minded conservatives and worry that he may get the chance to tilt the balance at the Supreme Court when vacancies arise there.

"Actions like this show the American people that this White House will stop at nothing to try to turn the independent federal judiciary into an arm of the Republican Party," Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont said in a statement.

But Bush and other Republicans labeled the Democratic filibusters of Pryor and other nominations as "obstructionist tactics."

The appointment of Pryor may prove popular with Bush's conservative base, which he is eager to shore up in an election year.

Leahy, who is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Pryor was a "judicial activist" who was "committed to an ideological agenda."

North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, who is vying with Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, for the Democratic nomination to run against Bush in the November presidential election, attacked Pryor's record and said he "clearly does not belong" on the court "because of a recess appointment that ignores the Senate."

Republicans praised Bush's move.

"This obstructionism must stop," said Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee. "I call on my Democrat colleagues to stop filibustering the president's other judicial nominees and to cancel their plans to filibuster several other nominees who will be voted out of the Judiciary Committee in the coming weeks and months," he said.

[Woodstock]

1. Republicans blocked 60 of Clinton's appointees

Here is a more balanced wire report:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/politics/8003161.htm

When Bush does things like this I hate him more than I ever thought imaginable. He is a very dangerous individual who is destroying America.

[Woodstock]

2. Republicans are truly evil

[Frodo]

4. Judging from the picture.... they may not be "evil"... but...

... they certainly aren't very diverse in their choice of clothing.

[Woodstock]

6. Their horns are well disguised

I guess that's one way of putting it, Frodo, that they are all dressed alike. For me, that picture says a lot more. It says a group of Republican white men took away the rights of women across the country (and the world), and in doing so, condemned many to suffering, illness, and even death, yet they are smugly laughing about it. If that isn't evil, I don't know what is.

[eaprez]

17. Hiding

..behind God while they do it. Justifying their actions in the name of religion. THAT is evil.

[scottcsmith]

5. How many nominees have been confirmed?

Anyone know where to find the data on the Internet on how many Bush judicial nominees have been confirmed vs. how many have been blocked?

[scottcsmith]

11. Never mind, I found it

http://judiciary.senate.gov/nominations.cfm

This is data for the 108th Congress.

It looks to me that out of 120 nominees brought before the 108th Congress, 71 have been confirmed. Am I reading this right?

[librechik]

3. sneaky and lawless--as usual for AWOL

he has no honor and no sensitivity to the will of the people.

[ramapo]

19. He does not care

Remember that he is there to serve those who bankrolled his campaign

[knight_of_the_star]

7. Wow

THAT is unconstitutional. I hope that we will have grounds to throw those guys out once Bush is out of office. I'm pretty sure we will.

[pinto]

8. it's constitutional, but sleazy, pandering and ought to be denounced

across the board.

[Woodstock]

9. I believe it is within the rules - but it is not ethical

considering the unconstitutional and dangerous stances of the two judges he has put forward in this manner.

We have many grounds to impeach Bush apart from this, however.

[eaprez]

18. Its Constitutional....but

my understanding is the appointment is not permanent.

[otohara]

10. Did Clinton Do This?

it's slimy, but then Bush is slime

[scottcsmith]

12. Yes

But in my quick research I could only find one instance where Clinton did it. I'm not sure if he did it more than the one time. The judge Clinton placed was Roger Gregory to the 4th Circuit court of Appeals in Virginia.

[Woodstock]

13. and they blocked 60 of Clinton's appointees

After 3 years, the Dems have only blocked 6 at last count (2 of which got through this way)

[otohara]

14. Thanks

During Clinton, I was not paying attention. I trusted him to do the right thing - probably too much in hindsight.

[demgrrrll]

15. This reminds me of the bully who is going to show you just who is the

boss. It seems that whenever he has taken a few hits, ( even his own say the last 6 weeks were the worst in his political career ) they come out swinging with something breathtakingly vile. Something that just knocks the wind right outta ya. We need someone who can punch back. Hard.

[otohara]

16. Absolutely - Stick It To Them Dems

it's not that he cares who's the judge, he's too stupid to know one judge from antoher, (unless it's family friend, or payback) Bush the vile just wants to show his power and stick it to them dems... such a fuck -

[Zhade]

20. We lost one such person when the media assassinated Dean.

Kucinich is my guy, but I welcomed Dean's fiery - and truthful - public speaking.

We are worse off for allowing the media-DLC-DNC nexus to destroy the Doctor.