Deal Kills "Nuclear Option" Supported By Religious Right; Allows More Bush Nominees To Move Forward
Monday, May 23, 2005
This post has been updated
Many Christian Groups Stood up For Democracy And Against The Religious Right’s Partisan Political Agenda
A bi-partisan group of United States Senators tonight beat back the attempt by the religious right to take away the right of the minority party in the Senate to filibuster judicial nominees. Republicans called the attempt to take away the filibuster the “nuclear option.” The deal will allow some of the 10 nominees put forward by the president (nominees that democrats have opposed because of their extreme views on issues like civil rights) to be voted on shortly but will preserve the right of senators to filibuster others. The Senate has already confirmed 95% of the people nominated by the president to serve on the federal bench. Progressives should be concerned over the nominations that will move forward. But the deal is clearly a political set-back for the White House, Republican Majority Leader Bill Frist and the religious right (groups like Focus on the Family pleaded against the compromise over the last 24-hours). Who wins? Democracy itself. The voices of progressives and moderates have – at least for today – saved the right of minority voices to be heard in the United States Senate.
Related Post: Protestant and Catholic Groups Agree: Defeat the Religious Right and Defend The US Constitution
Related Post: Religious Leaders To Senator Bill Frist: Drop Out Of “Justice Sunday” Or Risk Dividing The Country
Update: The Religious Right is already going, well, nuclear over the deal. Focus on the Family just e-mailed out the following statement to supporters making political threats against the bi-partisan group of Senators who reached the deal:
Focus on the Family Action Chairman Dr. James C. Dobson blasted as a "complete betrayal" tonight a deal by Senate Republicans to forego guaranteeing all of President Bush's judicial nominees an up-or-down confirmation vote.
Under terms of the deal, Democrats will allow final confirmation votes for three filibustered appeals court nominees -- Priscilla Owen, Janice Rogers Brown and William Pryor. There is "no commitment to vote for or against" the filibuster against two other nominees to the appeals court, Henry Saad and William Myers….
"This Senate agreement represents a complete bailout and betrayal by a cabal of Republicans and a great victory for united Democrats," Dobson said. "Only three of President Bush's nominees will be given the courtesy of an up-or-down vote, and it's business as usual for all the rest. The rules that blocked conservative nominees remain in effect, and nothing of significance has changed….
"We are grateful to Majority Leader Frist for courageously fighting to defend the vital principle of basic fairness," Dobson added. "That principle has now gone down to defeat. We share the disappointment, outrage and sense of abandonment felt by millions of conservative Americans who helped put Republicans in power last November. I am certain that these voters will remember both Democrats and Republicans who betrayed their trust."
Dobson has spent a lot of time since November threatening those who disagree with his extremist agenda. Independent groups have called for the tax exempt status of Focus on the Family to be investigated for engaging in partisan politics. Focus on the Family has several legal entities.