Mighty Forum~~ Now that the Republicans basically have control of the country and they have the chance to appoint justices more easily, how will it go? How likely is a Democrat filibuster? I'm at a loss to figure out how filibusters are defeated or voted out. Doesn't it take 2/3 of the congress to vote in a nominee? What are the most likely nominees from the Bush camp? Chris
As I understand the rules, it takes 60 senators to force a vote. The republicans now have 55. Sooo, if a particularly odious (to the Democrats) candidate is proposed, the Dems could stop it IF they don't break ranks. Now, watching the Supreme Court in itself is a constant source of harmless amusement. One principal I commend to your attention is that a Justice once appointed serves for life. In short, no President or party can command the allegence of a Supreme Court Justice. A second thing to keep in mind is that a Judge's record on a lower Court is not necessarily a good indicator of how he will vote once he's a Justice. Why? Because higher Courts keep lower Courts in line but there IS NO higher Court than the Supremes. A last thing you might notice: In the last year or so, this Supreme Court has shifted noticeably leftwards, probably in reaction to the right wing opinions of the Administration. The system seems to be functioning as it should. Example: the decision that Guantanamo Bay detainees were entitled to SOME process and could not merely be held indefinitely. There are others, most a bit technical, but I promise you they're there and not from 5-4 decisions, either. Try it! Supreme Court Watching will keep you off the streets at night!
