Deputy AG Nominee Held By GOPers as Conservative Activists Plot Strategy
Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) confirmed today that Republicans are holding up approval of David Ogden, President Obama's nominee to be deputy attorney general. From Leahy's remarks in the committee this morning:
Despite the strong support from law enforcement groups, children's advocates, civil rights organizations and former Democratic and Republican officials, and despite this Committee's bipartisan vote, Republican Senators have now chosen to filibuster the second of President Obama's nominations reported by this Committee. This is not a good start.
Ogden did win approval in committee, as Leahy notes, from senior Judiciary GOPer Arlen Specter (PA) as well as Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC). But we know who doesn't like him: the right.
Family Research Council fellow Cathy Ruse, in a recent op-ed for CNSNews.com, outlined the conservative case against Ogden, focusing on his past defense of abortion providers and the porn industry. Focus on the Family is also mobilizing its members this week to call for Ogden's defeat.
Late Update: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is expected to file for cloture on Ogden's nomination this week, according to Leahy's office -- meaning that Republicans will be challenged to put their money where their mouth is soon enough.
Josh
Elana
Matt
Eric
So it's Coburn? Cornyn? God help us if Kyl and Graham are 'moderates'. (How can this be a filibuster if three GOPers have said they'll vote for him?)
Reid needs to change the rules on the filibuster/hold, whatever this is. No "nuclear option", just a bunker-buster. They can't hide if they wanna pull crap like this. Make them get up on the Senate floor and defend themselves. At the very least make the "hold" a twenty-four hour formality or something. These anonymous tantrums are absurd.
March 5, 2009 12:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's come time to just let them filibuster. . .let them speak to the American people and re-confirm that the GOP has become the modern Know-Nothing Party.
March 5, 2009 12:23 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Reid is expected to file for cloture "this week" wouldn't that be either today or tomorrow?
PEACE
March 5, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Unless by a "week" he means within the next seven "legislative days", in which case it could be several years.... =P
March 5, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do these guys even work on Fridays? I'm thinking if it's going to be this calendar week, it would need to be today.
March 5, 2009 3:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
They need to change the rules to make these holds public. It should not be possible for our elected officials to hide their obstructionist tactics from their constituents.
March 5, 2009 12:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Definitely . . . then with transparancy we can see which elected officials are doing their jobs we are paying them for and which ones are in there for show and tell only to prosper from perks!
March 5, 2009 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
Secret holds are a Senate rule. Nuke the rule. That's transparency.
March 5, 2009 12:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here,here! How about some transparency, Senate Democrats?
March 5, 2009 1:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen. I cannot think of any good argument for retaining anonymous holds.
March 5, 2009 3:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
While the Repukes are putting secret holds on Democratic nominees, can someone please put a choke-hold on Reid?
March 5, 2009 12:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh good grief.
I just read the FRC's "case" against him. It's bad. Very bad. Seems that, as an attorney in private practice, he represented clients the FRC doesn't like. In court, mind you.
The fundementally totalitarian mindset of the theocrat wing of the fraying wingnut coalition nowhere better reveals itself than in its beliefs that some parties simply don't deserve their day in court and that every argument an attorney advances on behalf of such evil clients necessarily represents a core belief of the attorney.
Reading their "case" against him was like having a bad dream that the Bush years weren't over.
March 5, 2009 12:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm looking forward to moving into the 21st century myself. These 19th century neanderthals are really annoying. Like this is all we have to worry about a couple of clients that he represented in court, who might be unsavory in some peoples eyes, like maybe 10% of the population? If that were the standard, you would never get a criminal defense attorney in any position. It's most annoying.
March 5, 2009 2:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, I suspect the porn industry has a disapproval rating well north of 10%. OTOH, most people are aware of what the law business is, and that lots of lawyers work for seedy clients. The widespread general cynicism toward the practice of law should provide for some cover here :-)
March 5, 2009 3:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
Ser-prahse, ser-prahse, ser-prahse. The rightnut case against Ogden is bunk.
That was obvious from the get-go.
The only question has been, and still is: Just what is Reid prepared to do about it? What has he ever shown himself willing to do as Majority Leader to counter the shenanigans of the Republican minority, starting back in January 2007, other than whine and moan about how powerless he is?
March 6, 2009 12:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nothing, and I mean nothing, will trump the clubby Senate parlimentery coutesies when the Democrats are in the majority.
The country is in a crisis and they will fail to address it strongly enough, resulting in suffering for millions of Americans, because of their concern about changing parlimentery, extra-constitutional rules.
Undemocratic, archaic rules like the fillibuster need to go but Reid and the rest of the Democrats don't have the nerve or the desire. Mitch McConnell might get upset.
They don't even have the spine to make them take the floor and talk. The mere threat is enough to make them cave. It's unbelievable.
March 5, 2009 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can't we smoke out the Senators putting the hold on Ogden? It may be Senatorial custom not to name them, but that doesn't mean independent citizens can't make their names public, does it?
And yes, help us all if Graham and Kyl are the moderates.
March 5, 2009 1:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
I wonder if citizens who are Republican are getting fed up with the childish bullshit going on in the Senate. Are all citizens who are Republican anti pro-choice? They can't all be against pornography if the states having the most zip codes subscribing to internet porn are conservative states with Utah leading the way. Hypocrisy personified. There are citizens who are Republicans and adult enough to consider others opinions but couldn't possibly announce them. Rush would crucify (not literally but verbally)them if they did. Maybe it is better to be a closet moderate than bring down the wrath of the leader.
March 5, 2009 3:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
THEY HAVE NOT CHOSEN TO FILIBUSTER! They have chosen to threaten a filibuster, it's a big difference. I just don't understand why the Democrats don't call their bluff...
March 5, 2009 4:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Reid gets the guts to actually call their bluff it would only take one time to make them believers . . . basically these Repubs are a bunch of cowards.
March 5, 2009 5:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am thinking we should abolish the Senate, a more undemocratic institution does not exist. I live in California where 37 million of us share two Senators. My cousin lives in North Dakota where 370,000 share two Senators. It makes no sense...
March 5, 2009 4:54 PM | Reply | Permalink