November 17, 2004
GOOD NEWS FOR MIGUEL ESTRADA (via Joshua Epstein):
Senior Democratic Senator Won't Block Confirmation of Gonzales (DAVID STOUT, 11/17/04, NY Times)
President Bush's nominee for attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, was all but guaranteed Senate confirmation today when a leading Democrat expressed fondness for the nominee and signaled that he would not stand in his way."I like him," Senator Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont, the leading Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said today after a closed meeting with Mr. Gonzales, whom he has known as White House counsel.
"I said jokingly that the president, with the majority he has in the Senate, could have sent up Attila the Hun and got him confirmed," Mr. Leahy said. "But Judge Gonzales is no Attila the Hun; he's far from that, and he's a more uniting figure."
Hyperbole aside, Republicans will have 55 seats in the new Senate, to 44 Democrats and one independent, James Jeffords of Vermont, who sides with the Democrats. With Mr. Leahy not standing in his way, Mr. Gonzales can feel very comfortable about his chances of being endorsed by the Judiciary Committee and approved by the full Senate.
As Mr. Epstein says: "Someone must have gotten the message about W's increased Hispanic support." Posted by Orrin Judd at November 17, 2004 5:58 PM
"Judge Gonzales is no Attila the Hun; he's far from that, and he's a more uniting figure."
I hope your correct OJ. but such an endorsement from Leahy, now has me concerned that Bush is going wobbly.
Can we get Attila for Sec of Defense?
Posted by: pj at November 17, 2004 6:30 PMh:
You think her's gone wobbly if he wakes up in the morning. That Democrats aren't going to go after the guy who okayed torture and the Patriot Act is a sign they're scared of the Latino trend.
Posted by: oj at November 17, 2004 6:38 PMThey can't have helped but notice that Specter woke up with a horse head in his bed, and that Daschle woke up with his own head on the gatepost.
When your opponent does a slash and burn on a popular figure (Powell) and takes on two major rogue agencies in as many days, you've got to start thinking that he'd not even hesitate to leave tank treadmarks on your flattened carcass.
Posted by: ray at November 17, 2004 9:22 PMAgree with the above. Either the Dems have smarted up and won't pick fights with hispanic/women/african american nominees (but will with white males) or they are really running scared.
Of course the question now is whether Specter will block Gonzalez.
Posted by: AWW at November 17, 2004 10:13 PMIf Specter were to try to block Gonzalez, he'd be out as chairman, off the Judiciary committee and possibly out of the caucus.
The deal with Specter probably was:
'You get to keep your chairmanship so long as you schedule hearings on our nominees in an expeditious manner and you don't back any filibusters against them. You can of course continue to vote against and speak against those of whom you have serious disapproval, but don't make it a habit.'