Frist prepares for Senate showdown
Posted by: McQ
The QandO Blog
Wednesday, May 18, 2005
Bill Frist, in an op/ed piece in USA Today says:
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It is time to vote. As Senate majority leader, I have tried for more than two years to find common ground with my Democrat colleagues. I have offered to guarantee as many as 100 hours of debate for every judicial nominee, far more than has ever been necessary for any nominee in the past. I have offered to guarantee that no nominee ever becomes unjustly stalled in the Judiciary Committee, as many Democrats believe happened in the late 1990s.
In other words, I have sought to address Democrats' grievances while holding true to the core principle of an up-or-down vote. So far, my Democrat colleagues have rejected all efforts at compromise, and continue to insist on a new, 60-vote standard.
Such a position is unacceptable. President Bill Clinton's nominees required only 51 votes to be confirmed. Why should George W. Bush be treated differently? Until this president took office, Democrats and Republicans alike were firmly opposed to all filibusters, and said so repeatedly. We had a tradition based on mutual respect and restraint.
>>>
I've emphasized the key question and answer. That's what this is about, despite the rheotoric originating on the left about a break with tradition. Whether or not Frist will be successful with the Democrats, however, is another question altogether. Its going to be interesting to see where the votes fall this week when the issue is finally forced.
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