Steve Benen: In disheartening display, Senate blocks Goodwin Liu vote

[flpoljunkie]

May 19, 2011

In disheartening display, Senate blocks Goodwin Liu vote

Watching the Senate is routinely frustrating, but some days, it’s just disheartening.

As of two weeks ago, it seemed as if the chamber had finally turned a corner on dealing with judicial nominees. We finally saw a Republican contingent willing to give jurists an up-or-down vote, even if they intended to vote against the nomination, suggesting some sanity had returned to the chamber.

It didn’t last.

Citing “extraordinary circumstances,” Republicans successfully filibustered their first judge nominated by President Barack Obama Thursday.

In a 52-43 vote, Democrats fell eight votes short of the 60 needed to beat back a filibuster and bring a matter to a final vote. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) voted present.

Just six years ago, Republican leaders tried to do away with judicial filibusters altogether, but on Thursday they used the filibuster weapon that had been honed by Democrats in President George W. Bush’s first term to defeat Goodwin Liu’s nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The Republicans who said they’d never filibuster a judicial nominee? They filibustered a judicial nominee. The Republican “moderates” who said they found these tactics distasteful? They filibustered Liu, too. When the dust cleared, how many GOP senators were willing to give this nominee an up-or-down vote? Just one: Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski.

more...

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2011_05/in_disheartening_display_senat029698.php

[Champion Jack]

1. WHY WHY WHY don't they make them fillibuster?

Not threaten, but really have to stand there for 20 hours or so?

[dionysus]

2. because it doesn't work like it does in the movies anymore.