Pryor Faces Filibuster Threat From Senate Democrats Following Owen, Estrad

[Judi Lynn]

Pryor Faces Filibuster Threat From Senate Democrats Following Owen, Estrada Defeats
By Jesse J. Holland Associated Press Writer
Published: Jul 31, 2003


WASHINGTON (AP) - Texas judge Priscilla Owen was first. District of Columbia lawyer Miguel Estrada came next.
The next U.S. Appeals Court nominee up for a filibuster is Alabama Attorney General William Pryor. Senate Democrats expect to block President Bush's choice for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.

Democrats say Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, rushed Pryor's confirmation vote before they could finish an investigation into his fund-raising activities for a GOP attorneys general group.

Pryor also is strongly anti-abortion and has criticized the Supreme Court's decision that a woman has a right to an abortion. But he has said he will follow the current law if confirmed for the regional courts, one step below the Supreme Court.

Democrats don't believe him. "Mr. Pryor's litigation position, public statements and his writings leave little doubt that he is committed to using the law, not simply to advance a conservative agenda, but a narrow and extremely ideological agenda," said Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass. (snip/...)

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA6OSMGSID.html

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Filibuster!

This is a great way to keep whackos like Pryor off the Court of Appeals! I've heard,however, that the Repugs are trying to change the rules of cloture so that it is a simple majority rather than two thirds. Of course, when they were a minority, it was their God given right to filibuster, but now......

[bowens43]

2. The filibuster has been very good to us.

This guy pryor is complete right wing extremest lunatic of the very worst kind. I have no doubt that this moron was nominated to provoke another filibuster so taht the idiot-in-chief's party faithful can jump up and down screaming "obstructionist, obstructionist!".

[libtexan]

3. Please write

to our good Democratic senators who are throwing out the blocks (Leahy, Durbin, Kennedy)
and thank them for calling bullshit on the Mepublicans.

[LynneSin]

5. Write your republicans too

I really think we can pull a few republicans over to our side ESPECIALLY with the campaign finance issues with the Republican Attorney Generals Assocation (see 10 Ten Conservative Idiots list this week).

[Mel]

4. your right

the point of bringing this up before the end of this session is to do just that so they can yell obstructionist!
The pukes are going to try too use this for their campaigns. Another thing they are trying to do which is I believe going to backfire on them is the religious card. They are seriously crossing the line on this one.

The telling people what a 'good catholic' is, is going to bite them!

http://www.crosswalk.com/news/1212209.html
Liberal Religious Groups Oppose Pryor, Defend Democrats
Jeff Johnson
Congressional Bureau Chief

Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) - Leaders of several liberal religious groups held a press briefing on Capitol Hill Tuesday to defend pro-abortion Democrats who oppose one of President Bush's pro-life judicial nominees and to argue that objections to Alabama Attorney General William H. "Bill" Pryor are not based on his pro-life, Catholic beliefs.<snip>

The Illinois Democrat points to a radio and newspaper advertising campaign launched by the Committee for Justice, a conservative group headed by former White House Counsel C. Boyden Gray.<snip>


It's obvious from this article that they are playing politics, this isn't Really about 'Catholics need not apply'
http://www.committeeforjustice.org/contents/news/news070703_rollcall.shtml

<snip>The group, founded by allies of Bush, is better financed and organized and is more connected to other conservative groups because of the groundwork it laid in anticipation of a court vacancy, said Sean Rushton, the committee's executive director. "We have more money and more channels to people with money," Rushton said.

The committee's Supreme Court campaign was set to formally kick off June 27, the day after the high court's last opinion was released and retirements were expected to be announced. Bush's nephew, George P. Bush, was the headline speaker at an event that was part fundraiser and part rally, held in the offices of the American Council of Life Insurers at 101 Constitution Ave. NW with a glamorous view overlooking the West Lawn of the Capitol. <snip>

<snip>One plan calls for the committee to sponsor ads attacking Democrats for an anti-Catholic bias in their opposition to Pryor and Kuhl, both of whom are Catholic. "Catholics need not apply," Rushton suggested the ads would read. </snip>

[seemslikeadream]

6. Great

Thanks for posting it over here, this is important