Dobson, Wildmon Call for Grassroots Push for Filibuster's End
by Jody Brown
May 3, 2005
(AgapePress) - Two national pro-family leaders are labeling a group of Republican senators on Capitol Hill as "squishy" when it comes to the issue of whether to stand against the Democratic-led filibuster of President Bush's conservative judicial nominees. Both Dr. James Dobson and Dr. Don Wildmon say they intend to do all they can to force those senators to let their constituents know where they stand.
Dr. James Dobson | |
In his April 2005 letter to supporters of Focus on the Family Action, Dobson goes to great length to spell out the current situation in the U.S. Senate, where the president's attempts to nominate conservative, strict constructionist judges to the federal bench have been thwarted repeatedly by what he calls the "obstructionist tactics" of Senate Democrats.Since Congress reconvened in January, Republican leaders in the Senate have been considering how best to counter the ongoing filibuster against Bush's nominees -- several of whom have been criticized for their "deeply held beliefs," a veiled attack against conservative Christian convictions. Prominent among those plans is forcing a change in Senate rules that would do away with the requirement for 60 votes to terminate a filibuster and allow a vote -- sometimes dubbed the "constitutional option" or the "nuclear option."
Another option -- a compromise offered by Majority Leader Bill Frist last week, but turned down by the Democratic leadership -- would have limited debate on each nominee to 100 hours, provided a confirmation vote would be allowed on each nominee at the end of that debate.
Dobson says much is at stake in this battle over judicial nominees. "The nomination and confirmation of federal court judges represents a critical moment in the history of our nation, as well as a monumental opportunity for men and women of faith and others in the pro-family movement to stand up and make their voices heard," Dobson states in his letter.
Wildmon, founder and chairman of the American Family Association, concurs. "A minority of 40 senators and their liberal, activist cohorts on the bench are forcing their agenda on every American while setting the precedent that a devout Christian is unfit and automatically disqualified as a federal judge," the AFA founder says.
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Dr. Don Wildmon |
"The unprecedented judicial filibuster is a political method to block judges that disagree with the Democrats' ideology, so they can use the courts to impose a liberal agenda such as same-sex marriage, legalized euthanasia, and abortion on demand," he adds.Wildmon says unless the Senate votes to restore the constitutional standard of a simple majority vote to confirm a judicial nominee, "we can forget democracy."
With the Republicans the majority party in the Senate, confirmation via a simple majority vote would typically be considered a given -- and that may very well be the case. But some on the GOP side of the aisle have indicated a reluctance to exercise the "constitutional option" that could bring the Democrats' filibuster to a halt, thus allowing an up-or-down vote. Both Wildmon and Dobson say those "squishy" on the issue need to hear from their constituents and be urged to bring the filibuster to an end via that so-called "nuclear option."
In his letter, Dobson identified seven Republicans he says have not committed to voting for the measure; Wildmon adds another three. At press time, of those ten senators, the office of only one -- Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska -- indicated a preference for seeing the filibuster against judicial nominees come to an end. A staffer in the office of the other Alaska senator, Lisa Murkowski, says the lawmaker wants an up-or-down vote, but is not ready yet to invoke the constitutional option.
Others in the list of "squishy" senators -- and their stance on the issue, according to staffers or earlier news reports -- were:
- Lincoln Chafee (RI) -- opposed to the nuclear option
- Chuck Hagel (NE) -- undecided
- John McCain (AZ) -- in favor of filibuster
- Olympia Snowe (ME) -- publicly undecided, but leaning heavily toward opposition of the nuclear option
- John Warner (VA) -- wants to protect the rights of the minority; wary of changing the Senate rules
- Susan Collins (ME) -- says nuclear option would be a "mistake"
- Arlen Specter (PA) -- publicly undecided, but encourages senators to "vote their conscience independent of party dictation"
The office of Senator Gordon Smith (OR) did not return a phone call seeking his stance on the issue.
