so, it was Specter's Chief Counsel who slipped the AG provision into PA!!

[rodeodance]

Mon Mar-12-07 01:30 PM
Original message
Gonzales agreed to it, but Kyl will block it ? (AG approval)
GOP Sen. to Block Attorney Bill?
By Paul Kiel - March 12, 2007, 11:08 AM

Last Thursday, the administration abruptly dropped its opposition to a bill that would require Senate confirmation for U.S. attorney replacements. But Sen. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) "still intends to object," Roll Call reports (sub. req.).

Just how disruptive that objection will be is up to Kyl. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) intends to bring the legislation up for a vote "as quickly as possible," his spokesman tells Roll Call. By the rules of the Senate, which give individual senators considerable power to stymie legislation, Kyl could gum up the works with his objection, or he could simply sound his disapproval and let the bill come up for a vote.

Kyl has already blocked the bill, authored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), once. Republicans blocked it a second time when Feinstein tried to attach it as an amendment to another bill.

The bill, co-sponsored by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), would reverse a change slipped into the colossal PATRIOT Act reauthorization bill in December of 2005, by Specter's chief counsel, Michael O'Neill. Feinstein's bill simply restores the law to the way it was before that change.

snip

Kyl (and until recently, the administration) has cited separation of power concerns as his objection to Feinstein's bill.

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/002731.php

[KoKo]

1. Why couldn't one Dem Senator block any Repug Bills?

This makes no sense. Is it because of the only one vote Majority the Dems have? But, then why couldn't Dems have blocked Bush bills when Jeffords gave us a one vote majority at beginning of Bush Administration?

Somethings wrong here. Reid doesn't seem to be able to put coalitions together or he doesn't know the tricks the Repugs used against us.