ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Posted in Senate Rules — Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

Today, New York's Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton gave a speech to members of MoveOn.org, which is a political action committee opposed to letting the Senate majority give advice and consent to nominations.

Senator Clinton urged her audience to "reach out" during the upcoming Senate recess, in order to convince moderate Republican Senators that it's okay for a Senate minority to reject nominations. Basically, Senator Clinton wants MoveOn.org to reach out to those moderate Republican Senators so that there will never be any need for her to reach out to them ever again on nominations.

Whenever the 45 Democratic and Independent Senators want to defeat a particular nomination, all they have to do now is "reach out" and convince six moderate Republicans, such as Olympia Snowe, John McCain, Lincoln Chafee, Susan Collins, Arlen Specter, and one other. But Senator Clinton and the Dems don't want to have to do that anymore. Senator Clinton wants Snowe, McCain, Chafee, Collins, and Specter to back her in this judicial confirmation crisis so that she will never need their backing again to defeat a nomination. I find that ironic, and well worth a confirmthem post.