Republicans to Try Another Vote on Owen

[LauraK]

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republicans say they will try for a third time to break a Democratic filibuster on a Texas Supreme Court justice picked by President Bush for the federal appeals court.

Senate Republican leaders announced Friday they plan to force a confirmation vote on Tuesday for Priscilla Owen (search), who has been nominated for the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

This will be the third vote on Owen. The GOP failed to push her through on the first two votes in early May, garnering only 52 votes each time in the 100-member Senate.

It requires 60 votes to break a filibuster and move a nominee to confirmation. Republicans control the chamber by a two-vote margin, with 51 Republicans, 48 Democrats and one independent senator, Jim Jeffords of Vermont, who usually sides with the Democrats.

Democrats contended that Owen is an anti-abortion and pro-business judicial activist whose opinions and rulings are overly influenced by her personal beliefs. When they controlled the Senate in 2001, they voted her nomination down in committee on a party-line vote.

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[ColumbusGirl]

1. They can keep trying...

Some of these federal judiciary nominees scare the living heck out of me.

There is honor in not putting people in office who legislate from the bench. It's one thing I'm glad the Dems have been able to stick to their guns over.

[Dover]

2. I hope this doesn't indicate that some backroom deals were made with

Dems to let this pass. You know what I mean? Kind of a "we'll vote with you on that issue IF you vote with us on this issue" deal.

Maybe they're just dense and persistent like the idiot GOP is being regarding redistricting in Texas. I get the feeling that the GOP's gears get stuck in high, and like that elderly man in California....just plow right over people.

[NewJerseyDem]

6. No deal

They have had several votes on all the nominations and cloture never passed. They just want to keep bringing it up because they think that it is bad politically for the Democrats.

[Eloriel]

7. I'm more worried about certain Dem Senators not showing up for the vote

That seems to be a pattern these days.

Eloriel

[NewJerseyDem]

8. Doesn't matter

They need sixty votes no matter how many senators are there. All the democrats could just stay home and it still wouldn't pass.

[w13rd0]

3. Why is it so important for them...

...to get these corporate shills, like Owens, and Pryor, and Gonzales, on the bench? Is it simply ideaological madness? Or are there other motives? Whose asses will these corporate whores be covering if they succeed in being elevated to these benches? Maybe the same ones that contribute overwhelmingly to the GOP? Hmmm, could be...

[0007]

4. I'd be surprised if anything changes!!

*

[SharonAnn]

5. It's just awful, being a woman who fought for equal rights, to see

this woman who is so incredibly corrupted by business and the christian right.

We fought for the rights to be admitted to Law schools according to our qualifications, the rights to practice as a lawyer, and the rights to be considered for judgeship based on our qualifications.

And then somebody like her pops up. It's so incredibly disgusting that she doesn't care that if people if her hadn't been changed by people like us, she would never have had these chances and opportunities.

Bleeeeeaaaaaaachhhhh