"double standard" - GOP breaks tradition on Judicial nominees & crys foul

[papau]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6017-2004Jul22.html

Senate Democrats Block 3 More Bush Judicial Nominees

By Helen Dewar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 23, 2004; Page A05


Senate Democrats blocked three more Bush nominees for federal appeals courts yesterday as Republicans and Democrats accused each other of trampling Senate rules, tradition and comity to advance their political agendas.

For months, Republicans have accused Democrats of breaking with Senate tradition in pursuing a filibuster strategy to kill judicial nominations that have the support of a majority of senators but lack the 60 votes needed to break filibusters. <snip>

Democrats returned fire by charging that Republicans broke with tradition in brushing aside the objections of the nominees' home-state senators, Democrats Carl M. Levin and Debbie Stabenow.

In what amounts to a "double standard," Republicans heeded such home-state objections from Republicans during the Clinton administration but now pay no attention when Democrats object to Bush nominees from their states, said Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (Vt.), the ranking Democrat on the judiciary panel. "Rule after rule has been broken or twisted until the process so long agreed upon is hardly recognizable anymore," he said.

Levin and Stabenow complained that Republicans refused to act on President Bill Clinton's nominees for the same court and that Bush rejected suggestions for a bipartisan commission to make recommendation on Michigan nominees -- a practice used by several other large states. <snip>

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. .

[SoFlaJet]

2. Orin Hatch

invoked the practices of the dems during the Clinton administration as their reason for doing this!!!!!!!Un F#ckin beliveable