Redstate

By Martin A. Knight Posted in User Blogs — Comments (1) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

One gets the impression every time the Left screams that 60 of Clinton's nominees did not receive votes on the floor of the Senate that the blocking of judicial nominees started with Orrin Hatch.

But Hatch was simply using Democrat rules against Democrats ... 54 of George H. W. Bush's judicial nominees were blocked by the Senate Democratic majority and two of his Supreme Court nominees were subjected to intense and extensive character assasination campaigns by the Democrats and their allies on the Left and in the Press. Only one survived by the skin of his teeth ... the other's nomination was withdrawn.

Assuming that 60 of Clinton's nominations were "blocked" by the Senate Republican majority, note that this is over two terms and for two of those eight years, Democrats were in the majority. But even when the Republicans took the majority and he made nominations to the Supreme Court, neither of his Supreme Court nominees had to endure even 1/10th of what the first Bush's nominees went through. None of them was accused of racism, sexism, paedophilia, rape or any other thing GOP judicial nominees, and only GOP judicial nominees, have come to expect as part of their confirmation process.

The deal struck by the seven so-called "mavericks" is a precarious thing because it relies on good faith on the part of both sides. The problem is that the Left's groups have never lost their taste for Borking and Senate Democrats are terrified of denying them. Just wait ... Nan Aron and Ralph Neas are going to declare an "extraordinary circumstance" and push for a filibuster of some other candidate other than Sa'ad or Myers within the next few days.

The Byrd option is still very much on the table.