Every Republican But One Votes Against GOP Filibuster

No, I'm not talking about that sociopathic Bunning; even he voted for cloture on this one yesterday. In fact, the only Republican who didn't, Kay Bailey Hutchison, was back home in Texas busy getting her ass kicked by secessionist Governor Rick Perry in a gubernatorial contest that pitted the shrinking mainstream conservatives against a far right, neo-fascist brand of conservatism that now dominates the Texas GOP. But that's besides the point. The point was an attempt to block a pointless Republican filibuster of another one of Obama's outstanding judicial appointments, Virginia Supreme Court Judge, Barbara Milano Keenan. She was unanimously confirmed to serve on the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Obama had appointed her in September and the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved her in October. Unanimously-- every Democrat and every Republican present. Including crazy old Bunning. Including the worst and most committed obstructionists-- like DeMint, Coburn, Burr and Kyl, who have vowed to prevent Obama from appointing judges, something they believe only conservative white males should be allowed to do.

In fact, just 3 minutes before confirming her, the Senate-- the whole pack of them-- voted for cloture to cut off the GOP's pro-forma, time-wasting filibuster. Not one of them had the guts to stand up in the well of the Senate and explain why they had held up her confirmation for five months. That's because there is no case to make short of "we are obstructionists and the job of obstructionists is to obstruct; that's what we do. What are you gonna do about it?"

As one of Keenan's sponsors, Jim Webb, pointed out, almost one in eight federal judgeships are now vacant-- about 100 and that the Fourth Circuit, which serves Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the Carolinas currently has four vacancies. There are six other non-controversial judicial appointments waiting to be unblocked by these GOP lunatics-- six that every Republican on the Judiciary Committee, even Jeff Sessions (KKK-AL) voted in favor of! But Miss McConnell is dragging his heels in the mud and refusing to allow them to come up for a vote. No one knows why. It's just a ritual; it's the Republican Party showing their disrespect towards Obama, towards the government, towards the orderly functioning of society and towards the people of the United States. As Right Wing Watch put it yesterday: this was simply obstruction for obstruction's sake. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee:

The obstruction and delay is part of a partisan pattern. Even when they cannot say “no,” Republicans nonetheless demand that the Senate go slow. The practice is continuing. This is the 17th filibuster of President Obama's nominees. That does not count the many other nominees who were delayed or are being denied up-or-down votes by Senate Republicans refusing to agree to time agreements to consider even noncontroversial nominees.

I wonder if it were put to a vote of the American people how many would vote to abolish the Senate. Oh, and late last night Bunning, threatened by both Democrats and embarrassed Republicans with having his lollipops taken away, relented and agreed to permit a vote on extending unemployment insurance-- although the Kentucky kook is threatening that "I'll be back."

In the end Bunning tried to substitute his own cockamamie bill which was defeated 43-53, all the Republicans plus Lieberman, Ben Nelson & Blanche Lincoln sticking with the crazy old coot (as did contrarian Russ Feingold). After that failed, the actual bill, H.R. 4691, came up and it passed 78-19, die hard obstructionists like Richard Burr (R-NC), Chuck DeMint (R-SC), John Ensign (R-NV), Miss McConnell (R-KY) and John Thune (R-SD) standing with Bunning against the American people.

North Carolina's Secretary of State, Elaine Marshall, reacted angrily to the dereliction of duty by her state's senior senator. "Richard Burr has turned his back on 400,000 unemployed North Carolinians. For many of these people and their families, the
extension was a lifeline. Senator Burr has shown a disturbing lack of compassion for his fellow citizens. He is clearly out of touch with the people he represents." She was, in effect, speaking for hundreds of responsible elected officials from every part of the country.