Senate Republicans fail to break long-threatened Pickering filibuster

[MaineDem]

http://famulus.msnbc.com/famulusgen/ap10-29-231616.asp?t=apnew&vts=103020030830

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 — Senate Republicans on Thursday failed to break a Democratic filibuster of U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering's promotion to the federal appeals court, continuing a two-year standoff tinged with accusations of racial, religious and regional politics.

[jbfam4]

1. waste of Time

How can they justify wasting time on Pickering when they know they don't have the votes? Like Pickering is the most important thing in the world right now. Let's do a write in to protest.

[Rose Siding]

2. SURPRISE! Zell Miller weighs in!

snip>
Pickering's supporters say he is the victim of a liberal smear campaign.
''Pickering has been the victim by inaccurate race baiting and political trash talk by the news media, members of Congress and Washington's liberal elite,'' said Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga. ''Judge Pickering's critics continue to unfairly label him a racist and segregationist. Nothing could be further from the truth.''

[bluedeminredstate]

4. Did Zell weigh in

when Senator Cleland was the subject of a vicious attack by the nuball, lunatic, rightwing hatemongers aka the GOP which cost him his senate seat? (Well, that and those spanking new voting machines...)

I really don't know. Did Zell speak up on behalf of Seantor Cleland and the charges of his failings as a "true patriot?"

I think I know the answer but I thought I'd ask. Count on Zell when the Democrats try to take a principled stand on an issue - He's always the first "Democrat" to jump ship, point fingers and question motives.

:spank:

[gttim]

5. Zell sort of defended him.

Zell waited a little bit, then quietly defended Cleland. He didn't want to piss of his Republican buddies too much.

[newyawker99]

8. Hi gttim!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[mndemocrat_29]

3. Of the three senators that didn't vote

I assume that Sens. Kerry and Edwards will both support the fillibuster, but does anyone know where Sen. Ben Nelson stands? I know that he's voted in favor of several other of Bush's judges, but how does he stand on Pickering?

On edit, does anyone know why Sen. Jeffords is supporting Pickering?

[Tatiana]

6. Key point...

The GOP needed 60 votes to break the filibuster, but the final vote was 54-43. The Republicans have yet to break a Democratic filibuster this year.

Someone explain to me why the hell we don't filibuster more often???? We KNOW they don't have the votes to break it. The $87 billion giveaway should have been filibustered.

On edit, also from the article:

"Estrada asked that his name be withdrawn as a candidate for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia after Republicans failed seven times to break the Democratic filibuster."

[leetrisck]

7. Keep filibustering!

Whatever it takes - it's only going to get worse.

[VolcanoJen]

9. Good Washington Post article about the Dems blocking Pickering

Senate Democrats Block Bush Court Pick

Bush proposed Pickering, 66, a federal district judge, for elevation to the New Orleans-based Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in 2001. But Pickering was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee while Democrats controlled the Senate in 2002. Bush renominated him this year after Republicans recaptured control of the Senate, and he was approved by the judiciary panel in a party-line vote last month.

The fight over Pickering is unusual in that it involves starkly conflicting views of the man and his record, almost as though senators were talking about two different people.

Republicans have argued that Pickering is a fair-minded and able jurist who championed racial reconciliation at a time when it was dangerous to do so in the Deep South, even to the point of testifying against a Ku Klux Klan leader in a 1967 murder trial.

Democrats attacked his record on civil rights and related issues as ambivalent or worse and questioned whether he would let his conservative views, including opposition to abortion rights, influence his legal judgments. They were especially critical of his 1994 effort to reduce the sentence of a man convicted of burning a cross near the home of an interracial couple.