With Sandra Day O’Connor stepping down, I thought the Democrats would be making plans to block any extreme right-wing judge from taking the bench, but now I read that due to the compromise they made with the Republicans on May 23, they aren’t allowed to filibuster any undesirable nominee except for “Extreme Circumstances”.
According to the Repubs, being extremely right wing and standing against most things Americans hold dear, does not constitute “Extreme Circumstances”. A filibuster can only be justified on questions of personal ethics or character.
Senator Lindsey O. Graham R-S.C. said “Ideological attacks are not an ‘Extreme Circumstance’. To me, it would have to be a character problem, an ethics problem, some allegation about the qualifications of the person, not an ideological bent”.
David DiMartino, spokesman for Democratic Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, quickly responded with his own attack “(We) would agree that ideology is not an “Extreme Circumstance” unless you get to the extreme of either side”.
Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas said that he would not question a nominee about his views about abortion, affirmative action or similar matters.
If putting a judge with far-right leanings on the highest bench in the land where this judge will be handing down constitutional decisions for many years to come, isn’t “Extreme Circumstances”, I don’t know what is. But it looks like the Demos could once again roll over and play dead because they were told, by the Repubs, they couldn’t do anything.
When did the Democrats forget how to stand up and fight?
The California Curmudgeon.
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