The Barack Obama Honeymoon is Over, According to Kyl
The Senate’s Minority Whip, Jon Kyl, has decided to throw down the gauntlet and call short the Barack Obama Presidential honeymoon, seventy some odd days before it is to start. Kyl spent the last few years whining about Democrats blocking Bush judicial appointments, and now has decided that it is OK for him to do so. GOP Hypocrite.
That’s according to John Kyl, junior Senator from Arizona. By my count Obama has been President-elect for just a few days, and still has seventy-some odd days until he gets inaugurated. Still, at least one Republican has decided the honeymoon is over, long, long, long before the marriage has begun. Senator Kyl has decided to block any judicial appointment by Barack Obama he doesn’t agree with. Since Kyl serves as the Minority Whip, this isn’t an idle threat. From the Triangle Business Journal:
Jon Kyl, the second-ranking Republican in the U.S. Senate, warned president-elect Barack Obama that he would filibuster U.S. Supreme Court appointments if those nominees were too liberal.
Kyl, Arizona’s junior senator, expects Obama to appoint judges in the mold of U.S Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and Stephen Breyer. Those justices take a liberal view on cases related to social, law and order and business issues, Kyl said.
“He believes in justices that have empathy,” said Kyl, speaking at a Federalist Society meeting in Phoenix. The attorneys group promotes conservative legal principles.
Kyl said if Obama goes with empathetic judges who do not base their decisions on the rule of law and legal precedents but instead the factors in each case, he would try to block those picks via filibuster.
I’ll leave it to others to point out how strongly Kyl attacked Democrats who resisted President Bush’s judicial appointments, saying that they were interfering with the rights of the President, rights he earned by barely winning election. Of course, Barack Obama won election by far more votes, by far more electoral votes, with far stronger coattails, etc. To that end, Jon Kyl is a fool, not merely because he sets up this challenge before Barack Obama is even two months from taking office. The key here, I think, is to figure out how to handle the Kyls of the world.
Take them on. The Barack Obama campaign is about bringing Americans together. I say we all preach that from here until the inauguration and beyond. Let the Republicans lay in wait to disturb a startling American unity. Let them wallow in trying to ruin that, because those actions will in fact be their ruin, if we stay the course. Yes, that will mean praising folks like Arnold Schwarzenegger were he to be nominated as Secretary of Energy. Heck, Ahnold will take his marching orders, I’ve no doubt, if he accepts such a position, so I don’t mind praising him. I don’t even mind having a charismatic figure in there helping us reshape our country’s stance on energy.
It is through togetherness, an unrelenting call for togetherness, that we screw over partisan idjits such as Jon Kyl. I suppose that means we have to go to work.
You do realize your entire rant go exactly against the whole togetherness thing, dont you? Denegrating someone, calling them a fool, etc is not going to get you anywhere. And did you rail against the democrats blocking Bush appoitments? I think the qualifications that he mentions are spot on and requirements for judges should be what he says. However, I do agree its a little early for him to even be bringing this up.
Aw, my complaining about Kyl who is against togetherness goes against togetherness? My call for relentless rallying for unity goes against that?
Jason, you need to do the “reading is fundamental” thing.
Funny, Steven, but I got exactly the same impressions from this and ALL your other (very biased) commentaries. While ranting agains “partisan politics” and saying that we should unite together in support of our next president (hmmm…was this Kumbayah sort of togetherness promoted by you during the Bush administration, I wonder?), your commentaries are all very partisan on the Liberal Democratic side…and no amount of your denying it will make it appear any less so. You rail against anything and anyone on the Republican side and support everything on the Democratic side. If that isn’t partisan, then what is?
Doggone it! What with trying to keep up with political and economic news I haven’t had any time to stay on top of sports.
Anybody know how Penn State did against Iowa?
WRAARRRK!
Republicans ought to filibuster every judge who isnt in the mold of “Per Curiam”, by writing “this decision is not intended to set a precedent”, like Justice Per Curiam wrote in the 5-4 decision of Bush vs. Gore - ordering the State of Florida and the Supreme Court of Florida in that 5-4 decision to immediately halt their election process. Republicans also ought to hold to their “principles”, and do everything they can to halt the restoration of honor and dignity to the Justice Department.
Kyl, Cornyn, McConnel have been and are opposed to anything that does not promote war, corporate America, and military industrial complex. They have been willing to sacrifice our infrastructure and our social welfare so that the rich and well connected can continue to reap rewards. Is it any wonder, Kyl would continue the rants with his criticism of Obama? Kyl prefers gridlock and disharmony and is a grumpy old man who’s time has expired as an effective positive Senator. He would be better off permanently residing in the Arizona sunshine rather than stinking up the Senate.