Orrin Hatch is currently kicking major ass, with a point by point dismantling of the left's "extremism" charges against Priscilla Owen. He blasted NARAL for being against parental notification for minors seeking abortion, and called out Democratic Party leadership for continuing the "fiction" that Alberto Gonzales called her an activist.
He has highlighted her exemplary record and noted, "It makes you wonder what their objection to her nomination really is." He has also noted the fact that she has been elected by overwhelming majorities in the state of Texas. His final note on Owen:
And she is a Neanderthal? Give me a break.
He accused the Dem's of being against Brown because she is an "African American conservative" and noted that they would rather nominate men.
Way to play their own game Orrin.
UPDATE: From The Bleachers has a nice post on the hypocricy of the left displayed in the chamber today. Here's a sample.
Edward Kennedy: “The continuing delays are a gross perversion of the confirmation process that has served this country well for more than 200 years.” (Cong. Rec., Sept. 21, 1999)
Barbara Boxer: “I make an appeal: If we vote to indefinitely postpone a vote on these two nominees or one of these two nominees, that is denying them an up-or-down vote. That would be such a twisting of what cloture really means in these cases. It has never been done before for a judge, as far as we know—ever. Again, it would undermine what Senator Lott said when he said these people deserve an up-or-down vote.” (Cong. Rec., Mar. 9, 2000)
There is plenty more.
UPDATE: Soccer beckons and I can take only so much C-Span in one day. For the late comers, I would wrap up today's debate thusly:
The Democrats insisted on playing the same game they have all along. Painting Brown and Owen as extremists and the filibuster as a dangerous break from senate tradition. To do so they relied almost solely on rhetoric. In some cases, they flat-out lied, as in the use of Alberto Gonzales' characterization of Owen. Right now, my own senator Mark Dayton is repeating the same drivel we have been hearing all day. The GOP is threatening the bi-partisan tone, the filibuster is wonderful, and the nominees are extremists.
The Republicans, on the other hand, have addressed the nominations individually and have done a wonderful job discrediting the nominees characterization by Democrats as outside the mainstream, using facts and relying heavily on the historical record. They focused on the overwhelming majorities the two nominees have enjoyed in elections, and highlighted the hypocricy of Democratic sentators who only a decade ago tried to get rid of the filibuster altogether.
Round one to the GOP...that is, if anyone was watching.
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