Commentary: The Secret Plan To Thwart Bush
Washington is buzzing about a recent Robert Novak column that exposed the secret plan developed by Ted Kennedy to block all of President Bush's appellate court nominees.
The current controversy centers around Miguel Estrada, who is being filibustered to death by Senate liberals. (Editor's note: Find out how you can help by clicking here.)
But the plan is much broader and goes back to a secret meeting that took place on January 30th in the office of Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle. At that meeting Daschle, Kennedy and six other Judiciary Committee Democrats endorsed a strategy that will result in filibusters against any conservative nominee.
How serious is the situation? George Will asserted on Friday that if allowed to succeed, this tactic would effectively amend the Constitution by requiring a supermajority to approve judicial nominations. It would put Kennedy, Daschle and Clinton in charge of judges, instead of President Bush.
If Iraq will determine the success of the Bush presidency in foreign affairs, the fight over the federal judiciary in the Senate will determine the success of the Bush presidency domestically. The President and Senate Republican leaders cannot afford to "blink" on this one.
George Will put it more starkly on Friday when he wrote, "And if the president does not wage a fierce, protracted and very public fight for his nominee, he will display insufficient seriousness about the oath he swore to defend the Constitution."
Why Are Judges Important?
The President's ability to appoint conservative judges is important because liberal activists are exercising raw political power to remake America in their image by judicial fiat.
Last week, in fact, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected attempts by the Administration to reconsider the decision banning the Pledge of Allegiance. In a very rare moment, the United States Senate voted unanimously to condemn that ruling.
Yet, nine Democrat senators who live in states under the jurisdiction of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals are supporting the filibuster against Miguel Estrada!
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