southchild

Thanks to Scott (the Big Trunk) at powerline for this Tony Snow interview with Bill Frist:

But once America sees who he is, they’re going to stand back and say, “He is smart, he’s intelligent, a man of integrity. A powerhouse, a powerhouse in the legal profession.” So I look up on all these comments from my colleagues as premature and political posturing. And, you know, if they continue it along the way, I think they’re going to pay a price?

SNOW: How so?

FRIST: Well, first of all — and I said this to the judge, and I said it to my colleagues. We have got to work together as a Senate to give this qualified nominee a dignified hearing and a fair up-or-down vote. If they want to throw the word “filibuster” around before, they have had hearings before, they have had the opportunity to go back and look at his records.

And if they are going to prejudge the outcome, it’s going to be a fight. And we are all ready for it. Listen, I hope there’s no filibuster. I stood on principle all along on the other hand, in spite of the Gang of 14, in spite of deals being cut, on that principle that these nominees deserve an up-or-down vote. And I haven’t cut deals in the past.

Obstructing judicial nominees should be a thing of the past. If the Democrats want to obstruct a nominee and not give us our constitutional right of advice and consent, an up-or-down vote, we’ll take it to the mat. If a filibuster comes back, I’m not going to hesitate to employ the constitutional option to get an up-or-down vote.

Now that’s more like it. Are you listening, Chuck the Schmuck and Senator Depends (leaky Leahy)? Bring it on.

There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable–and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.
— Patrick Henry

This entry was posted on Monday, October 31st, 2005 at 8:10 pm and is filed under General, politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.