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Sen. Kennedy's New Website

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2006
Posted on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 09:58:05 AM EST
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Senator Ted Kennedy has launched a new website for his re-election bid in 2006. There's something special about it. He's using it to gather netroots support against one of Bush's worst judicial picks. Good for him.

Check out this petition drive on his site to defeat William G. Myers III for a U.S. Court of Appeals judgeship.

Myers has spent his career trying to dismantle the protections our courts exist to preserve. He was a former lobbyist for the mining, grazing and cattle industries and a Bush Administration bureaucrat. His only experience has been manipulating laws and regulations for corporate gain, against the public interest. He’s unqualified to sit on the largest federal appellate court in the country.

Myers was among the 20 judges whose names Bush resubmitted to Congress after being rejected by the last Senate. More information about him is available here. In July, 2004, the Senate blocked a vote on his confirmation, and the Republicans were unable to muster the 60 votes necessary to force it.

As PFAW said in December when Bush renominated the rejected appointees:

“This slate of nominees signals again that the President and his team want to pack the federal courts with right-wing ideologues, and roll back decades of progress in social justice. This portends long, hard months of debate over the federal courts, and sends a truly disturbing signal of what we can expect if and when a Supreme Court vacancy occurs.

“If justices like these are appointed, we can say goodbye to a woman’s right to choose. We can watch as our rights to privacy and civil liberties are eroded, and the government’s ability to protect our clean air and clean water vanishes.”

Sen. Kennedy held a conference call Monday with bloggers on the nuclear option. TalkLeft was invited to participate, but I had to be in court. He has promised further calls and further interaction with bloggers, and I look forward to participating.

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    • Sen. Kennedy's New Website | 6 comments (6 topical)
    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#1)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 10:22:05 AM EST
    Ted For President, I don't care what people say about the old guy, I still love him and his brothers. we need a Kennedy as president.

    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 12:07:25 PM EST
    Actually, I'd like to retract my last statement. As much as I strongly disagree with most of Ted Kennedy's politics, I do believe that it is quite possible (and not uncommon) to 'turn one's life around' after significant shortcomings. Whether or not he has done that is another question. My apologies to Senator Kennedy.

    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#7)
    by Quaker in a Basement on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 01:14:56 PM EST
    A small quibble, TL: You said: "Myers was among the 20 judges whose names Bush resubmitted to Congress after being rejected by the last Senate." With the contentious debate over Senate Democrats' use of the filibuster, I think it's important to make clear that only 7 of the 20 resubmitted nominees were blocked by filibuster. The other 13 did not receive confirmation for other reasons.

    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#11)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 03:04:40 PM EST
    "...he could help us all out of this coming madness by just being a kennedy..." This logic flaw is classic "cult of personality" error.

    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#12)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 03:26:51 PM EST
    Thanks for this. Checking out the code now.

    Re: Sen. Kennedy's New Website (none / 0) (#13)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Apr 20, 2005 at 03:47:54 PM EST
    Quaker, I didn't say 20 were blocked by filibuster. I said 20 were resubmitted after having been rejected. Rejected includes those whom the Senate refused to grant hearings. The Bloomberg news article linked in our post under "among the 20 judges" spells it out. Thanks for the clarification though. You are correct that only 7 were filibustered.

    Sen. Kennedy's New Website | 6 comments (6 topical)