GOP Charges Obama with "Court Packing" for Attempting to Fill Seats

Two out of three look like cartoon characters. From Huffington Post.

I'd like to tell you that my reason for passing this story along is that I'm outraged that the Republicans in the Senate are misusing terminology, lying, and blocking the president's nominations all for political reasons, and showing a complete disregard for and lack of respect for the office of president.

And I am. But the real reason this inspired me was the hilariously turtle-like picture of Mitch McConnell. I mean, we've been calling him a turtle for years, but does that say it, or does that say it. Anyway, I know that's silly but there you go. It's no sillier than what the GOP is alleging here.

[Excerpt]

Republicans Charge Obama With Court-Packing For Trying To Fill Empty Seats 

Republican senators are fuming about President Barack Obama's attempt to fill empty seats on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, charging him with "court-packing" and alleging that his push to confirm nominees is all politics. But not only is Obama not "court-packing" -- a term describing an attempt to add judges to a court with the goal of shifting the balance, not filling existing vacancies -- but Republicans' efforts to prevent Obama from appointing judges amount to their own attempt to tip the scales in their favor. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

GOP Blocks 97 Nominations

With the seeming new-found cooperation on financial reform, I was beginning to think that the Republicans were shedding their "party of no" reputation. Sadly, no is still the order of the day.  I'd get it it there were legitimate concerns about certain judicial appointments. But, c'mon, 97 of them? Really? That just spells o-b-s-t-r-u-c-t-i-o-n pretty clearly, doesn't it?

[Excerpt]

Republicans Block Votes On 97 Federal Nominees In A Single Day 

Republicans have been blocking votes on nominees to federal posts, taking longer to confirm President Obama’s nominees to executive agencies than nominees submitted by the previous three administrations. Due to these blocks, there is a backlog of 101 executive branch nominees that have yet to be voted on, ranging from the Transportation Safety Authority chief to members of the Marine Mammal Commission. Senators commonly issue “anonymous holds” to prevent a nomination from coming up for a vote. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

 

GOP Seeks to Deny Obama "Up or Down Vote"

Photo from source, Think Progress

If we heard it once, we heard it 8,000 times, in one variation or another: Up or Down Vote! Up and Down Vote! Up/Down Vote! When it came to George W. Bush's judicial nominees, Democrats were lambasted for daring to raise an objection. Tom DeLay--who was not even in the Senate--was among the voices supporting the "Nuclear Option." This was a plan to remove the filibuster option, and would have left Democrats with zero power in the Senate.

Democrats had to make nice, and reach a compromise on Bush's wacky choices in order to keep the Republicans from following through on their threat. But now, of course, the shoe is on the other foot. Republicans are in the minority, and their only power--besides whining and stomping their feet, and appealing to Lord God Limbaugh--is the filibuster. And they aim to use it. Where's your Up/Down now?

[Excerpt]

After Trying To Abolish Filibusters Of Judicial Nominees In ‘05, GOP Threatens To Filibuster Obama’s Nominees

In 2004, frustrated by successful efforts by Senate Democrats to block 10 of President Bush’s judicial nominees, Senate Republicans threatened use the “nuclear option” to remove the minority’s right to filibuster judicial nominations. “One way or another, the filibuster of judicial nominees must end,” said then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) in a speech to the Federalist Society. . .

Read more at: Think Progress