ConfirmThem

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

Writing for MSNBC, Tom Curry quotes the Senator from Connecticut:

“The end of the 60-vote requirement,� said Sen. Joe Lieberman, D-Conn., would mean the end of “the minimal demand that there be more than members of one party to confirm presidential nominations to our highest courts.�

There has never been any demand that nominees get support from both parties. The only demand for confirmation has been that a majority of the Senate expresses its support. Only when the Senate and White House have been controlled by opposing parties has there been a demand that nominees get support from both parties (which only occurred for 13% of Supreme Court appointments prior to Nixon; after Nixon, though, 2/3 of the SCOTUS appointments were with split party control). Lieberman is advocating a new standard but apparently doesn't realize it. If he knew what he was doing, I don't think he'd approve.