ConfirmThem

By Nate H Posted in Fillibuster — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Although this essay is from a week or so ago, it still rings true as the Senate gears up for judicial nomination battles.

Daschle, the former senator from South Dakota, has become the poster child for a number of groups that rallied together in order to defeat him. Very few people anywhere in the country thought Daschle could be defeated, yet a convergence of issues led to his political demise and resulted in a new addition to the Washington political lexicon.

"Getting Daschled" is now a real concern for many liberal members of Congress in both political parties, but especially for Democrats. Yet, because their base is so left-wing, liberal Democrats also fear getting "primaried," that is, losing to another liberal in their party's primary.

Such is the political quandary that many liberal Democrats find themselves in as they prepare to address a series of issues that took down Daschle. Foremost among those issues will be the handling of nominees to the federal judiciary.

This is my hope, that Senate Democrats will realize it's a waste of what capital they have, to keep well-qualified judicial nominees from the bench.