Leak staffer ousted Frist aide forced out in an effort to assuage Dems

[jbfam4]

February 5, 2004

Leak staffer ousted
Frist aide forced out in an effort to assuage Dems
By Alexander Bolton http://www.hillnews.com/news/020504/leak.aspx



Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist’s (R-Tenn.) top aide on judicial nominees is expected to announce his resignation at the end of this week — a sacrifice offered by the GOP leadership in hope of persuading the Democrats to wind down the fight over leaked Judiciary Committee memos.


Miranda declined a request for comment. But The Hill has learned that he agreed to resign under pressure from Judiciary Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). The Democrats have not agreed to scale back their demands for wide-ranging punishments following a full-blown leak inquiry.


The aide’s departure signals that Senate Republican leaders will likely pull back from confrontation over Bush’s judges. Last year’s high-intensity battles included a GOP-staged 40-hour marathon debate on blocked nominees.

As an aide in Frist’s office, Miranda was able to organize the Judiciary Committee with outside groups that communicated the Republican message on judges. Without the heft of Frist’s office behind the campaign to confirm Bush’s judges, the Senate Republican Conference, will have a tough time overcoming turf battles with the committee.

If they can tamp down the furor over the leaked memos, Republicans could focus on the content of the documents, which illustrate the influence outside groups such as the NAACP and People for the American Way have had on Democratic decisions to block nominees.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. An act of pure, transparent desperation...

Such as this, demands a fitting response: keep smacking the bastards in the kidneys until they piss blood over this. They are hurting and flailing. Forcing this guy out is an admission that they hurt.

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. Fruit of the Forbidden Tree

"If they can tamp down the furor over the leaked memos, Republicans could focus on the content of the documents, which illustrate the influence outside groups such as the NAACP and People for the American Way have had on Democratic decisions to block nominees."

They should not be allowed to use information that was illegally obtained. And for that matter, those organizations which have been adversely affected by conservative judges have every right to speak their concerns and minds.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. You can bet your bottom dollar

that right wing groups influence the Rethugs. If they are allowed to use information illegally obtained, they should be put in jail.

[ThoughtCriminal]

4. Bet there's a nice reward job waiting

These guys always pop up again and again.

[cybildisobedience]

5. the Dems should remain "UNassauged"

I hope that don't take up an "all's well that ends well" attitude -- this is outrageous and criminal, and should be treated as such. Would the Repukes hesitate for a split second to use this against the Dems if the tables were turned?