Vitter blasts Landrieu on Senate floor

[ronzo]

Vitter blasts Landrieu on Senate floor
_{She calls for restraint from personal attacks}

Friday, May 20, 2005
By Bruce Alpert
Washington bureau

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1116568967138230.xml

WASHINGTON -- The bitterly partisan battle over President Bush's stalled judicial nominees on Thursday sparked the second public squabble in a week between Louisiana's two U.S. senators.

Republican David Vitter touched off the latest tiff when he took to the Senate floor Thursday to urge Democrat Mary Landrieu to break with her party and help end the filibusters that are blocking votes on seven of Bush's appellate court nominees.

(snip)

Landrieu said she finds it ironic that at a time when the United States is paying a huge price, in terms of loss of life and taxpayer money, to protect the rights of the minority in Iraq, some Republican leaders "are tearing them down here at home."

(snip)

In addition to his floor speech, Vitter also made his case for ending the filibusters at a news conference with fellow Senate GOP freshmen and in a letter to Landrieu. Landrieu responded with a letter of her own.

"Thank you for your letter expressing your concerns regarding the judicial confirmation process in the Senate," Landrieu wrote. "I realize that the complex precedents and traditions of the institution must seem imposing to new members. I must confess that, as a junior senator, I frequently relied upon the examples set by my more senior and established colleagues when wading into these issues."

(more)


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I don't know about you, but I haven't seen/heard much local reporting on this at all. I can honestly say I'm going to give up on Mary once and for all if she crosses the aisle on this one, but I'm fairly confident she'll stand with the party.

[bluestateguy]

1. Traditionally freshman senators are supposed to keep their mouths shut

I suggest he do the same.

[saltpoint]

2. Good for Mary that she's put the little varmint in his place.

I agree with you, ronzo -- I think she'll stay true blue on this one.

Vitter is a hatchet man for the Dick Cheney wing of the Republican Party.

And that's not a good thing at all.

[funkybutt]

3. I know Mary has dissappointed us pretty bad lately

But I don't think she's going to screw us over on this one.