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Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen

By Jeralyn, Section Judiciary
Posted on Wed May 25, 2005 at 12:15:45 PM EST
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Praise is due Senator Lincoln Chaffee who was the only Republican Senator today to vote against Priscilla Owen. Here's the vote tally. [hat tip How Appealing]

Two Democrats voted for her: Mary Landrieu and Robert Byrd.

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    • Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen | 13 comments (13 topical)
    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#1)
    by Patrick on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    I guess she's conmfirmed then eh? I counted at least 2 D's that voted for her.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#2)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    To quote the great meerkat Timon from The Lion King: "It starts."

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#3)
    by Ernesto Del Mundo on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    Bush and the Theocons have turned the clock back to the pre-Roosevelt era. And I mean Teddy, not Franklin. Welcome to 1905. Upton Sinclair where are you??

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#4)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    I like the idea mentioned by Tim Russert a couple of times, that representatives and senators should be able to vote on these nominations in secret. I know that flies in the face of democracy in the sunshine, but there's so much pressure from special-interest groups on members of Congress that "We The People" are not really getting to cast our vote through that Senator or Representative. In fact the will of the people and the future of our country is coming in a distant second to political expediency. This is a very real and palpable danger which is effectively skewing the viability of our Representative democracy.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#5)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:18 PM EST
    Aaron, while I agree with your observations about the will of the people being a lesser priority than political expediency, politics has always been "the art of the possible". I must disagree however, on the notion of allowing these votes to be conducted in secret. If this is done, how could a legislator be held accountable by voters, when we only have their word for how they voted? The best thing against corruption has, and will continue to be, the light of day.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#6)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    Judge Owen may be the single most under-qualified nominee, and now she is a judge on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals after having absolutley zero criminal law experience.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#7)
    by Talkleft Visitor on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    Other than Pryor this may be the worst nominee yet

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#8)
    by The Heretik on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    A sad day. To be followed by another sad day when Brown goes through as well. While some senators are glad the Senate in its current form survives, how the rest of the nation will survive the rulings of these justices has yet to be determined. And Frist says he still may invoke the nuclear option.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#9)
    by The Heretik on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    Post Mortem of the Owen Vote here

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#10)
    by jimcee on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    For Heaven's sake who cares that Owens was sent to the appelate court? This is how the political game is played and over time the courts change and balance out. Slow change is the best change, so if the judicial appointments and thier rulings piss you off just keep trying to make your point and change the course of politics! Secret votes? Who thinks that is a good idea? Sheesh. The "American experiment" is just that and this petrie dish of a country will keep moving and distilling the philosphies of the world because we except more philosphies than any other place on this earth and that is a good thing. Whether you like it or not.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#11)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    jmcmaster I beg to differ on your assessment of these renominations. William G. Myers III is in my mind by far the least qualified, having zero experience as a judge, and the most objectionable as someone who made tens of millions as a lobbyist fighting environmental laws he would be sworn to uphold if he were confirmed. Thankfully, it seems he will not be confirmed. There's a special place in hell for lobbyists. And judges who become lobbyists, well I don't think there's any flames hot enough to barbecue them over.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#12)
    by Aaron on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    jimcee If there were a secret vote, doubtless Owens would not have been confirmed, because senators, most especially Republican senators, could vote the will of their constituents and their conscience regarding these renominations. These people didn't failed to get confirmed the first time around for nothing. While Owens may be less objectionable and more qualified than some, she is still well out of the mainstream. Unless of course your mainstream is hardline right-wing Republican theocon/neocons. People that want to go back and revisit the New Deal, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act -- in other words dangerous religious fundamentalist racist psychopaths. People that have no qualms about posting third-rate jurists or worse to the highest courts in the land in the hopes of returning to interpretations of the law from 50 years ago. Boy, in the face of these nominations I feel really good about being an idealistic progressive American who can think for himself. I much prefer being in that minority of WE THE PEOPLE, who are on the side of truth, justice and the American way. Hell, I'll stand up all by myself I have to, and take on 10,000 weaselly little beady-eyed Republicans and send them home to their mama with their tail between their legs. Just call me Underdog. Here I come to save the day beeyyyaaaiitch.

    Re: Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen (none / 0) (#13)
    by Patrick on Sat Dec 17, 2005 at 12:59:20 PM EST
    If there were a secret vote, doubtless Owens would not have been confirmed, because senators, most especially Republican senators, could vote the will of their constituents and their conscience regarding these renominations.
    Major assumption there, since twice as many D's crossed party lines to confirm no?

    Lone Republican Votes Against Priscilla Owen | 13 comments (13 topical)