by David Almasi
Liberal Senators Complaining About “Obstructionism” on Iraq
Legislation Use the Same Tactic to Block Judicial Nominees
Project 21 members say the liberal Senate leadership, which has embarked on an overnight session to “highlight Republican obstructionism” on consideration to legislation to withdraw troops from Iraq, is hypocritical, as these senators have used the same tactics they now condemn to block the confirmation of President Bush’s judicial nominations over the past six-and-a-half years.
“The immoral duplicity of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his henchmen once again unambiguously shows there are no depths too low for liberal politicians to plumb,” said Project 21 Chairman Mychal Massie. “It is extraordinarily incongruous that, on one hand, Reid would complain about a conservative filibuster against an arbitrary and predetermined withdrawal date in Iraq while he and his gang have stalled on the confirmation of people such as Judge Southwick since the day President Bush announced his judicial first nominees.”
Beginning on the morning of Tuesday, July 17, and scheduled to last through the evening of Wednesday, July 18, the Senate is expected to remain in session for debate on a plan to remove U.S. forces from Iraq by May of 2008. Democratic leaders want a simple up-or-down majority vote on the amendment, and are protesting Republican use of Senate rules to require a vote of 60 members to end the debate.
The last all-night session of this sort was held Wednesday, November 12, 2003, to protest Senate liberals requiring 60-vote majorities for confirmation of President Bush’s judicial nominees.
Judicial obstructionism continues, with allegations this week concerning bad faith by Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) in scheduling a committee vote on the nomination of Judge Leslie H. Southwick to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Assistant Attorney General Peter Keisler, a nominee to the D.C. Court of Appeals, has waited more than a year for a committee vote on his nomination.
Among major non-judicial nominations, only 66 of 229 of the nominations made since January 7 – 29 percent – have received Senate votes.
“It’s a classic case of the pot calling the kettle black,” added Project 21’s Massie, who participated in media events in the U.S. Capitol related to the 2003 judicial all-nighter. “If Harry Reid wants an up-or-down vote on Iraq, he should at least be willing to come to the table with an offer of the same regarding the judicial nominees to our already overworked courts.”
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