Republicans Move Pickering to Full Senate

[goobergunch]

By JESSE J. HOLLAND
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Federal Judge Charles Pickering won a two-year battle Thursday to get his languishing promotion to the U.S. Court of Appeals out of committee and on to the full, GOP-controlled Senate. But Democrats who oppose the conservative Mississippi jurist say his nomination will go no further.

Threatening a filibuster, a tactic that has stalled several of President Bush's other judicial nominees, Democrats predicted Pickering's nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will fail, despite Thursday's approval by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

"What's the point of pushing yet again for a nominee who probably cannot get enough support to be confirmed because he doesn't deserve to be confirmed?" asked Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.

But Republicans - who forced Pickering's nomination out of committee on a 10-9 party line vote - said the vote was about justice for Pickering.

more...http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SENATE_PICKERING?SITE=PAPHQ&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Any guesses on how many votes they'll get for cloture? It will be less than 60 IMHO....

[flamingyouth]

1. And he'll be rejected YET again

[saigon68]

2. He is a Turd in a Punch bowl

A disgusting human being, who cares nothing about equality under law.

[NewJerseyDem]

3. Jeffords supports him

Jim Jeffords says that he will vote for Pickering. I'm sure that Ben Nelson and Zell Miller will also vote to confirm. Apparently there is at least 55 senators supporting Pickering so I guess that John Breaux may as well, he did vote for Estrada.

Pickering may get more votes as well. It seems like he will do better than any of the other filibustered nominees and it may be fairly tight even though I think that the filibuster will succeed.

Pickering doesn't seem as bad as another judicial nominee. His name is Brooke, I think, and he is from Arkansas. He is former head of the Arkansas Right to Life and apparently thinks that women should serve their husbands, he's a real nut. However, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor are both supporting him and he would probably get confirmed but moderate Republicans are holding him up like Arlen Specter, Olympia Snowe and even Kay Hutchison. I guess we can't just depend on Democrats all the time.