Throughout the Bush Administration, AZ Senator Jon Kyl carried the Bush's water on Capitol Hill in many ways, but particularly in trying to shepherd Bush's judicial nominations through the Senate. One of his favorite tactics to try to intimidate Democrats who made noises about filibustering the worst of the worst was to cry about "obstructionism" and demand an "up or down" vote on the nominees.
A lengthy Kyl speech on the topic, courtesy his own Senate web site, is here; a written piece is here.
It's clear from the speech and other sources, Kyl considers filibusters a case of Senate minority members "running roughshod over its [the Senate's] traditions."
So what does he do as a member of the now-minority party in the Senate faced with the likelihood that a Democratic president will nominate a liberal to the Supreme Court?
Threatens a filibuster.
Of course.
2 comments:
I was particularly impressed by Senator Kyl's aversion to empathetic people. It's hard to imagine coming out in favor of promoting narcissism and psychopathic behavior on the court, but he seemed to be doing it 'Wonder if we could trade Ensign and Kyl for first round draft pick and two Senators to be named later?
I'd happily trade them both for one senator to be named later, so long as that senator is named Al Franken.
As it is, I doubt Kyl and Ensign have much value as trade bait. Maybe we could offer them up to some independent league baseball team for a couple of fungos and a bucket of BP balls?
If you know baseball at all, you know how low a price that I've just set. :))
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