Schumer Urges Bush to Rein in Judge Fight

WaPo reported Sen. Charles Schumer, a leading Democrat in the fight over judicial nominees, urged President Bush to intervene and rein in the strongest conservative critics of Democratic opposition to some candidates.

What has he been smoking, to think Bush would do that?

Schumer, D-N.Y., delivered his party's weekly radio address Saturday, in which he decried "a whiff of extremism in the air the likes of which we haven't seen in decades."

And the odor is coming from the Democratic side of the aisle

Without naming any, Schumer criticized "small groups ... trying to undermine the age-old checks and balances that the Founding Fathers placed at the center of the Constitution."

Filibusters were not used by the Founding Fathers; they started in the 1800s

Democrats have blocked 10 of Bush's appellate court choices with the threat of filibusters, which means those nominees would need 60 votes to be confirmed. Republicans are considering using their majority to change rules to require a simple majority vote for confirmation.

In his radio appeal, Schumer sought to draw Bush more directly into the fray by urging the president to denounce some conservatives who have used harsh language to criticize the Democrats. "I am making a heartfelt plea to you, Mr. President. When you came to Washington, you said you wanted to change the climate in D.C.," Schumer said.

But he did not realize that the natiional Democrats are unlike the Democrats he knew back in Texas; who were willing to compromise to get something done.

"Those stating these abhorrent views count themselves as your political allies. One word from you will bring a halt to these un-American statements. That would be a way to strengthen democracy here at home."

No it might strengthen Democrats, but not Democracy (which says a majority rules)

The senator referred generally to some activists comparing judges to the Ku Klux Klan and terrorists.

Schumer has lost his mind

Jayson @PoliPundit: blogged Chuck Schumer wants President Bush to stop the mean old Senate Republicans from taking away his ability to block a female African-American state supreme court justice from the federal bench because she’s {gasp} a conservative, er, I mean, he wants the President to intervene so the Democrats can filibuster those evil nominees of his. Man, these tea leaves aren’t that hard to read anymore, are they? The federal courts are about to get much more conservative. The Democrats either can have it the hard way, or the radioactive way.