Robertson: GOP Must Push Judges Through

[Placebo]

Evangelist Pat Robertson indicated Tuesday that if Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist expects backing of religious conservatives for a possible 2008 presidential bid, he had better get President Bush's judicial nominees confirmed by the Senate, or at least voted on.

"It is the ultimate test," Robertson said at the National Press Club. "He cannot be a leader and allow Democrats to do what they did in the last session."

The Democrats' ability to stall White House picks for the federal bench was one of the most contentious issues of Bush's first term.

With a Senate comprised of 55 Republicans, 44 Democrats and a Democrat-leaning independent, Democrats still have the 40 votes necessary to uphold a filibuster and block a vote on a nominee by the full Senate. In the case of a vote by the full Senate on a nominee, a simple majority would be needed for confirmation.

More...

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Push THIS through, Pat. n/t

[Megahurtz]

13. LOL!!!

:7

[atreides1]

2. I'd Like To See Robertson Pushed

But I won't say what through.

[fooj]

3. Hey Robertson...let me "PUSH" this...

right up your righteous ass!

[Southern Dem 2005]

4. Not a big fan of Mr. Robertson

I hope Dems stand firm on the judicial nominees. Can't allow Robertson, Falwell, and their lap-dog Bush to cram the courts with uber-conservatives.

[ClintonTyree]

5. Since when does the clergy dictate governmental policy?

There used to be a little thing called "separation of church, and state". I think it's PAST time to re-enforce that separation again.

Stay in your fucking church, Robertson. And keep your lying, gold mine owning, billionaire, fleecing the flock ass out of government.

I don't know how much planer to put it.

[Selteri]

21. Pat Robertson himself is a real SOB

I know a lawyer who worked for him.

Employees are not allowed to drink, have their spouse upset or just about anything. He canned this friend of the family on a Friday half an hour before he was going to go home and informed him that they would send him his materials, he wouldn't be welcomed back.

The reason for this kind firing, "His wife was obviously unhappy with the snakes that live in that part of the country." Right on the pink slip.

I guess those Christian Values don't include even a week of severance after 4 years of commitment. I suppose it also doesn't include letting a man retire one year later since he was already quite close to retiring and had announced it. I guess being a good Christian man doesn't include the fact that Patty retracted part of his son's college assistance that the organization had done, though Pat picked the College he went to. (A godly Brainwashing Christ-ity.)

He's the worst kind of scum for the high morals he talks about. Not like it's a surprise for anyone who claims to have the healing power for those who send in donations.

(edited for a few minor errors)

[madhat]

24. Tax trouble

Isn't the NAACP under investigation from the IRS for being political? This sounds political to me....

[leftofcool]

6. Eat shit and die, Pat!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! eom

[UTUSN]

7. So the Real pRez Had a Press Conference?

Why does he have status as a religious organization if he is spewing about politics?

[UCLA Dem]

8. i hope he keeps getting mad and then pulls away from the repuke party.

[Cocoa]

9. Robertson is just playing to his people

he's not going to do anything to hurt the republicans, he's just keeping his moron bigot followers happy by making noise.

Santorum and Frist were openly laughing at the gay marriage issue at their first press conference, they obviously have no respect for their constituents.

[Hobarticus]

10. Huh? Bush only had 10 of 52 nominees blocked...

I think that's some kind of record, isn't it?

Or is this just more smoke and mirrors?

[mtnester]

11. Let em keep on talking their way out of their tax exempt status

can't wait

[Coastie for Truth]

12. I'm not even a Christian - but Robertson and Co are the Anti-Christs

They (Robertson, Dobson, Falwell) are driving more good people from Church then they realize.

It will take a major proselytization drive by Robin Meyers and Jim Wallis to rebuild America's churches.

Robin Meyers link: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=214&topic_id=10243&mesg_id=10243

[Megahurtz]

15. And I wonder if Robertson knows about this

or maybe he's part of it:

http://www.infowars.com/bg1.html

http://www.sonic.net/~kerry/bohemian /

http://www.prisonplanet.com/archive_bohemian_grove.html

Uh huh........looks pretty "Christian" to me!

[leesa]

14. Ahhh...that good old Christian blackmail.

[Anakin Skywalker]

16. Hey Robertson, just

suck it.

[VegasWolf]

17. Hey Stupid, just keep waiting. The Republicans will talk to you in 2008.

[CO Liberal]

18. Let's Push Robertson Into a Jail Cell

Along with Falwell, Dobson, Fred Phelps, and D. James Kennedy.

And throw away the key.

[Selteri]

22. Don't forget

Earnest Angley, E.V. Hill and all those other charlatans.

[CO Liberal]

25. We're Gonna Need a Bigger Jail Cell

Maybe we can put them down in Gitmo.....

:-)

[librechik]

19. So Congress is there to serve the President, not the People

according to this genius. Robertson is Satan's handmaiden. Or else, he never understood the meaning of America. He's just making it all up according to his own wild beliefs.

[raysr]

20. I was listening

to that dick-head at the VA Hospital in Seattle today. DOMINIONISTS!!!!

[madhat]

23. Tax Free organization?

Does he lose his tax-free status if he is so political? Does he even have tax-free status?

[Erika]

26. Theocratic fascism is what Pat wants

Where corporatism/religion rules our people. If our dems in DC don't stand up, that's what we'll have with these appointments.

[cliss]

27. I bet he stands up there and preaches

about the wonderfulness of "God's Capitalism", "God's Country", where Everything WE Do is Sanctified. Meaning = We'll do whatever we want, 'Cause God's on our side.

By the way, I've read that this old buzzard owns a gold mine or a diamond mine in Africa. He's made $big $bucks on it. Someone called him on it (phew, talk about hypocrisy).

He replied that he was actually doing the blacks in Africa "a favor" by letting them have jobs and Robertson was actually contributing to the welfare of Africa.

[Pastiche423]

28. Hey Pat!

Swear to that w/your hand on a Bible!

Otherwise, you're bullshit.

[KingoftheJungle]

29. Pat has a lot of clout in the "shadow government"

http://www.insider-magazine.com/ChristianMafia.htm

[KissMeKate]

30. this "man of god" is really just a craven political operative.

his son in law, Ralph Reed, was the one who said "they (the democratic oppposition) wont know its over till they're going home in body bags."

[Moderator]

31. kick

to combine posts

[TaleWgnDg]

32. Robertson: Dems blocking Federal Judges will pay at the polls

.
"Wednesday, February 16, 2005
(Pat) Robertson: Democrats blocking Bush Judicial Nominees Will Pay at the Polls
Bernard Hibbitts at 8:56 AM

"(JURIST) In a speech (prepared remarks) delivered to the National Press Club Tuesday, Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson (official website; profile) accused the federal judiciary of usurping legislative and executive power, called for the Senate leadership to force votes on President Bush's judicial nominations (JURIST report), and suggested that Democrats blocked those nominations at their electoral peril:

"Even as we opposed tyranny abroad, we also oppose tyranny at home. In my view, the greatest cause of domestic political discord is the usurpation of legislative and executive power by non-elected judges who are not content adjudicating cases between litigants, but attempt to determine from the bench matters given by the Constitution to the elected Congress and the President. . . .

(snip)

"People of faith want the Congress to take back the power given it under the Constitution to limit where necessary the appellate jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and follow clear constitutional guidelines for the confirmation of federal judges. The Senate Republicans have the votes to force up or down votes for the confirmation of the president's judicial appointments. Majority vote, not the filibuster, is the American way. The defeat of the former minority leader of the Senate should send a clear message that obstructionism, especially when it concerns the confirmation of Judges, does not sit well with American voters.

"C-SPAN offers recorded video of Robertson's speech. AP has more."

. . . more . . . http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2005/02/robertson-democrats-blocking-bush.php

---

---

[sniffa]

33. he can go fuck himseLf

for opening his mouth he's gonna pay.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

34. .

[glitch]

35. So they're admitting they controls the polls now. Keep on spewing Pat

the more you talk the more ammo we get.

[Burma Jones]

36. Look Pat Boy, you've shot your wad

You and your ilk have peaked.........

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

37. When will this pig lose his tax exempt status?

[TaleWgnDg]

42. Didn't Pat Robertson's so-called . . .

.
Didn't Pat Robertson's so-called . . . "Christian Coalition" lose its IRS Section 501(c)(4) tax exempt status as a "social welfare" organization and as a result it no longer exists? The IRS, I believe, charged Robertson with blatant electioneering for Republicans which it could not do u/ that IRS section . . . this is from memory so hopefully I am correct.

---

edited to add: Apparently so, here's this 1999 tidbit about Robertson's "Christian Coalition" losing its tax exempt status:

"JUNE 10, 1999 3:01 PM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: People for the American Way
Nancy Coleman 202/467-XXXX

"Christian Coalition Loses Tax Exempt Status: IRS Ruling After Ten-Year Delay Recognizes Group's Clear Partisan Nature

"WASHINGTON - June 10 - The Internal Revenue Service has reportedly ruled that the Christian Coalition is so thoroughly partisan that it does not deserve tax-exempt status, a development welcomed by People For the American Way Foundation President Carole Shields, who called the ruling 'long overdue but worth the wait.' "
http://www.commondreams.org/pressreleases/june99/061099g.htm
See also: http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/news.aspx?id=5605

However, I do not know of the current status of Robertson's "Christian Coalition." My guess would be that he simply may have re-organized into lesser entities and, perhaps, some of which re-applied for IRS status in another context.

[ElaineinIN]

43. Unforutnately....

Christian Coalition of America is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(4) and is allowed to lobby and engage in some political activity--contributions to it are not deductible. Therefore, the prohibition on political actiivites and the lobbying restrictions for Section 501(c)(3) organization (such as NAACP) do not apply to it.

[TaleWgnDg]

44. The IRS code that you've cited has a tad bit more . . .

.
The IRS code that you've cited has a tad bit more . . . "nuance" to it than your rather broad sweeping statements indicate. I suggest that you peruse those §§ of the IRS regulations as well as the relevant case law.


edited to add: And, oh, yes, welcome to DU, ElaineinIN . . .

[ElaineinIN]

45. I know... i was short handing it

didn't think I needed to do a full discussion of the underlying issues for these purposes.

If you check the CCA website donation form, they clearly state that they are a 501(c)(4)... as a result.. they can lobby more fully than a (c)(3) because the substantiality test does not apply. A (c)(4) can do some political activities, athough its supposed to be insubstantial under the regs as I recall, but its not the outright prohibition of a (c)(3).

NAACP appears to clearly be a (c)(3) from its website. Now, I don't agree with the IRS with the speech violated the political activity prohibition, but the point of my post was simply that the two organizations have different exemptions and therefore are subject to different rules, so you can't compare what's going on with the NAACP with the CCA directly.

and thanks for the welcome.

[Cocoa]

38. the dems know the political risk

why are republicans suddenly so concerned about the dem party?

[Massachusetts]

39. Praise Gee Sus

Pat: "I feel a judicial nominee out there with pain" Praise Gee Sus.:silly:

[TaleWgnDg]

40. how true . . .

.

[jswordy]

41. Well Pat, Democratic ally PHIL E. BUSTER might stop ya! n/t