ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

The Associated Press has some sketchy details about poll results on the nomination filibuster issue:

[A] recent survey taken for Senate Republicans showed 37 percent support for the GOP plan to deny Democrats the ability to filibuster judicial nominees, while 51 percent oppose.

Additionally, the survey indicated only about 20 percent of Americans believe the Republican statement that Bush is the first president in history whose court appointees have been subjected to a filibuster
....
The poll found more than 80 percent of those surveyed believed all judicial nominees deserve a yes-or-not vote.

The GOP is barking up the wrong tree if it proposes to completely "deny Democrats the ability to filibuster judicial nominees." Seems to me the GOP ought to continue allowing more than 40 Senators to filibuster a nomination, but not for more than a year or so after the nomination is reported out of committee. In other words, limit nomination filibusters, but don't get rid of them. The public would overwhelmingly support that, and it would ultimately ensure yes-or-no votes.

As to whether Bush is the first president in history whose court appointees have been subjected to a filibuster, who can blame the public for being skeptical? The definition of the word "filibuster" is about as clear as mud. The important point is that the public overwhelmingly agrees that the nominees deserve up-or-down votes.