Monday, May 23, 2005

"Extraordinary Circumstances"?

Without having seen the exact terms of the filibuster deal, the "extraordinary circumstances" clause sounds an awful lot like the "health of the mother" exception liberals always wanted to insert into into the partial-birth abortion ban.

The question is: In practice, will "extraordinary circumstances" for judicial nominees become what "depression" was for the "health" of mothers wanting late-term abortions?

Update, 5/24/05, 10:15 a.m.: Beldar goes much further calling the Republicans responsible for the compromise "seven gutless suckers."

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

God damnit! The Senate Republicans just re-elected Nelson and condemned late-night TV viewers to another episode of the tonight show with John Mccain. Here's a good question for Galley Slaves readers: Pinpoint the moment Mccain went from somewhat principled conservative Senator to complete media whore. Most people would probably say it was SC 2000, but I get the feeling it was before that. He'd been an Imus regular for years before 2000 and it always scare me how much he seemed to like the attention. Nowadays he's about as conservative as Linc Chafee on key issues.

Scrutineer said...

Without having seen the exact terms of the filibuster deal, the "extraordinary circumstances" clause sounds an awful lot like the "health of the mother" exception liberals always wanted to insert into into the partial-birth abortion ban.

Exactly what I've been thinking since I first heard the phrase "extraordinary circumstances". Democrats' interpretation will be as elastic as convenience requires.

If they filibuster Myers or Saad, then "extraordinary circumstances" will be revealed to mean "whenever we feel like it."

Anonymous said...

After this stinker of a deal, I just have to believe that the Democrats must have something (dark, dirty secrets perhaps?) on enough Republican senators to ensure that the party continually buckles on the truly important issues. What a bunch of spineless idiots. It's time to seriously consider switching to Independent voter registration. Oh, and note to GOP fund raisers, I apologize in advance to the poor fool who is unlucky enough to be the next to call me asking for a donation.

Scrutineer said...

Anonymous: Pinpoint the moment Mccain went from somewhat principled conservative Senator to complete media whore. Most people would probably say it was SC 2000, but I get the feeling it was before that. He'd been an Imus regular for years before 2000 and it always scare me how much he seemed to like the attention. Nowadays he's about as conservative as Linc Chafee on key issues.

I think McCain's public craving for press love started right about when he got busted as one of the Keating Five.

He is starting to behave like a caricature of a self-adoring politician: "Mr. McCain, a chief architect of the deal ... had to leave the [filibuster agreement] press conference before it ended to make an early screening of a movie about himself." So many fans, so little time!

Anonymous said...

arrscott, you're out of your gourd.

Which is more extraordinary -- that the Bush administration cannot get Democrats to support these nominees or that Democrats have decided, with certain high-profile nominees (seemingly based on the wishes of dangling-off-the-edge leftie interest groups), decided to exert an unprecedented procedural stranglehold on Constitutional process?

Is it more extraordinary that Bush can't get Democrats to support these nominees, or that Democrats (Leahy, Schumer, etc.) leading the charge against said nominees have abandoned all past principles concerning judges -- the ABA "gold standard", no litmus test... and catch the strong whiff of revulsion for any nominee (high-profile, leftie-lathering-up nominee) with "deeply held" religious beliefs.

Is it more extraordinary that Bush can't get Democrats to support these nominees, or that Democrats in attacking these nominees are willing even to hint sinisterly at classified FBI information?

The political situation is novel --"extraordinary" -- and I suppose it is disconerting that opinion is so polarized that so few Democrats will support the nominees, but then again given the lack of good faith on the part of the Democrats, it's a wonder why the other side would want their support.

The deal struck last night is most horrifying in that it practically concedes the presumption -- despite being prompted solely by left-wing fringe groups -- that Democrats define what views constitute "the mainstream."

That Dude said...

Ill play devil's advocate. Doesnt all this deal do is establish that in the future arch conservatives like Pryor et al cant be filibustered as their views now cant be onsidered "extraordinary circumstances"? Thats not a bad thing.

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