Key Democrat upbeat over high-court choice (Durbin)

[seriousstan]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts said on Friday he "hates bullies" who prey on the powerless, which pleased a key Democratic senator as the conservative candidate stepped up a Capitol charm offensive.

"I liked that answer," Assistant Senate Democratic leader Richard Durbin of Illinois said after a private meeting with President Bush's nominee.

Roberts has received generally upbeat receptions in initial visits this week with Democratic and Republican senators who will decide whether to confirm him to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor -- who was a key swing vote between the court's liberal and conservative wings.

Durbin was one of just three Democrats who opposed Roberts in the Judiciary Committee two years ago when he was en route to being confirmed to a seat on the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/ns/news/story.jsp?id=2005072215570002391123&dt=20050722155700&w=RTR&coview=

[bluestateguy]

1. After his "apology" last month Durbin will never be the same

He has been effectivley castrated. Congratulations, right wing echo machine.

The thing that Durbin does not realize is that the Right will continue to beat up on him and talk about his comments from last month over and over again.

[Dr Fate]

6. I agree- there is no "wotking with" liars & criminals.

The Durbins, Obamas, Libermans,Hillaries, etc will never learn that.

[depakid]

16. He showed weakness

He blinked- and bullies will NEVER let up on him.

Sometimes, I think these fools never learned ANYTHING in high school.

[ananda]

2. charm..

.. like a snake in the grass.

I'm starting to hate charm.

Sue

[Thrill]

3. Our party is so full of weaklinks

it isn't even funny. Thats why we continue to drop elections. We're in big trouble when liberals like Durbin start showing no backbone.

Unreal. I'm sick of this stuff.

[demokatgurrl]

4. Ah, the Democratic cave in starts. And I thought Durbin had 'em. n/t

[PATRICK]

5. What I see, not CNN

is that the Dems have not adopted a strategy but that outlets like CNN are trying to quickly paint them into one.

Even people saying obligatory polite things like the inanity quoted as "approval" or people trying to be honest about the process, like Sen. Kennedy are denied any voice by this hamstringing spin. THEY know with their lack of votes that the only process left to them is the slow grind and revelations of confirmations that cannot look like witch hunts even if the media were not pimping for Bush. If you can't say something nice AND if you can't say something bad is added to what silence is said to imply in the current spin then the only issue the hapless Dems should be savaging(but have no history of even acknowledging) is the noise machine itself.

In any event, consider the sources. It is bad enough when wavering liberal opinion sources are intimidated by this "smart move" plus no votes and the "nuke option" with its bland deal betrayal. But you simply cannot let any important issue be presented by certain big "news" outlets anymore without looking like a fool to everyone.

Time is the only thing on the side of truth and who knows if it can prevail? But this CNN snippet and blanket judgment is as pathetic as the quality of Washington Times propaganda. If you are reasonable and polite this denotes weakness and surrender. If you start to criticize, the Dems are automatically presented as kneejerk partisans with more concern about politics than those "liberal" issues- like justice and the national interest.

[rosesaylavee]

8. I agree

Heard Dick Durbin this afternoon on NPR. He did meet with Roberts and said he hoped that Roberts will be more forthcoming with answers unlike his earlier hearing where Durbin did not vote for him because he didn't answer the questions at that time.

I think this is their strategy: they are setting the parameters of how this can be settled without a filibuster. If this guy answers their questions and answers them fully and to their satisfaction - then they won't play hardball. They are establishing a foundation on winning future arguments against Roberts if he doesn't play the game and then they will filibuster. Their reasoning will sound reasonable -'He's not giving us answers, we can't approve someone who refuses to answer our questions'. What are the chances of him continuing to smile and be nice - slim. So, my bet is that the Dems will filibuster.

If it were me, that is how I would try to win this argument. Yes, the guy is potentially anti- Roe v Wade among too many other surmises floating on DU. But we won't win the battle by hitting him over the head right off the bat. The Dems are taking the reasoned approach - to be followed by a lot of politicking if he doesn't answer the questions... in my humble opinion.

[depakid]

17. Welp, if they'd LISTEN to George Lakoff

and start framing their own issues and setting their own agenda's, CNN wouldn't have that power over them.

[Kelvin Mace]

7. Since when do you take someone with only TWO years

experience as a judge and make him an AJC?

[conservdem]

18. Felix Frankfurter and Louis D. Brandeis had no ,

experience as a judge prior to their appointment to the SC. I believe there were others too.

Does this change your view (at least of this point)?

I would not have a problem with a Dem picking an Atty with no experience on the bench. I would, however, prefer that they have some trial experience as well as appellate experience.

[Mark E. Smith]

9. The world seems almost amazed that Bush nominated a sane man.

Or at least a man who gives the impression of being sane.

Just another indication of the low regard most people have for the Little President.

[WhiteTara]

21. that doesn't make him good

just because he doesn't rant like Roy Moore.

[femrap]

10. I want Roberts' entire life investigated as

well as his wife's. She is a partner at a law firm that consults with businesses who want to start up businesses in Iraq. She is also big in 'Feminists for Life,' an oxymoron. 'Feminists for Birth' is a more appropriate term or "Feminists for Zygotes.' And pity the the poor little zygote who grows up to be a woman...for she will not be allowed to have power or control over her life....because there are very disturbed people out there who feel they must control women's lives because they have something lacking in theirs.

I am so sick of the Dems....If they don't fight this nomination, women will leave the party en masse. And unmarried women are the biggest part of the dem voters. They're pathetic...all afraid to stand up to the fundies and the neo-cons.....maybe norquist was right...they are just castrated. They act like it.

[AzDar]

11. I find it very odd that Roberts "hates bullies", yet apparently has

no qualms about working with what is arguably the most bullying and corrupt administration in U.S. history.
Ach.

[realFedUp]

12. yeah, ask him how he feels about the Bushies outing an agent

I'd like the answer to that one.

Let's face it, this guy is pumped and primed
to do whatever it takes to get in and then
the gloves go on when he's in for life.

[burrowowl]

13. What about a French Fry eating

12 year-old?

[Voltaire99]

14. Another "key" Democrat, proving how hard he'll fight...

...*for* Bushism.

[delete_bush]

15. Roberts states he "hates bullies" and

Durbin is frothing at the mouth? 100% of all fourth graders hate bullies, and Durbin says "I liked that answer"? Why even comment?

At least Bork would say things such as he hates the ninth amendment, something worthy of discussion. We're going to confirm a SCOTUS in part because he "hates bullies"? Oh my.

[Isere]

19. The only way the Democrats are going to be successful

in stopping the Bush juggernaut is to start winning elections! Frankly, considering that we have lost seats in both houses of Congress, I think we can't expect to get very far on our agenda.

It's sad. It's humiliating. It's enraging. But it's the reality we the face.
So I'm not going to worry my pretty head over Roberts or over what Durbin says or doesn't say. And I'm not going to give any more money to the ineffective pro-choice groups like NARAL and Planned Parenthood. After all these years of battle, women have only lost rights, not gained them.

So I'm going to focus only on elections and give my donations to EMILY'S list or directly to candidates.

[n2doc]

20. Oh Bite Me Durbin

In five years, when Roberts has a 100% record of voting with Scalia and Thomas, will he moan "But...but... we had no way of knowing he would turn out to be so right wing!"?

Even if the dems don't wish to run a fillibuster on Roberts, the very least they could do for their party, their country and most importantly for their constituents is to vote no in unison. If the shoe was on the other foot and Gore or Kerry nominated a faceless Judge who had worked for Clinton you can damn well bet the Pukes would be united against him. Just because someone appears "harmless" and "inoffensive" doesn't obscure the fact that he is a conservative, and if we, the voters, had wanted to support conservatives we would have voted for pukes as Senators as well.

But of course he doesn't want to look too "Partisan":banghead: