11 Republican Senators Permit Former Planned Parenthood Director to Become Federal Judge

I don't blog much about political matters but every so often one comes along that deserves comment.

When I saw this headline I was stunned - A Former Planned Parenthood Director receives a lifetime appointment to a federal court? Who's in bed with whom?

Thursday, May 05, 2011


Senate Democrats were able to confirm the former director of Planned Parenthood of Rhode Island to a lifetime federal judgeship after 11 Republicans voted to close debate on the nomination and allow it to come up for a final vote...



The cloture vote on the nomination of John J. “Jack” McConnell was 63 to 33 with 1 senator voting present and 2 senators not voting at all. Had 4 of the 11 Republicans who voted for cloture not done so, the nomination would have failed. A cloture vote requires 60 votes to succeed.


All 11 Republicans who voted for cloture—and thus to allow McConnell’s nomination to proceed—turned around and voted against the nomination itself on the final vote. That vote succeeded 50 to 44 and McConnell was confirmed.

The 11 Republican senators who voted for cloture and thus to permit McConnell to become a lifetime federal judge were: Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Scott Brown of Massachusetts, Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Mark Kirk of Illinois, John McCain of Arizona, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and John Thune of South Dakota.

Now to be clear, all eleven who voted for cloture (to end debate) voted against his nomination.  But in the end his nomination only needed a simply majority to stand.  Talk about spineless!  These eleven senators are hiding behind their "No" vote on the confirmation to divert attention from their weakness in ending debate.  Everyone knows that once cloture ended his confirmation was assured given the fact that the Democrats are in the majority.  I thought that Republicans were the party of 'life'.  Silly me.    

Some of the eleven are predictable RINO Republicans.  Others have portrayed themselves as pro-life, evangelical Christians.  Some are spinning this in light of past Democratic actions that blocked President George W. Bush's judicial nominees asserting that they do not want to be that mean and that now is a time for bipartisanship.  What?  To allow someone on the federal judiciary with this baggage is beyond me.
 
Read the full story here:  11 Republican Senators Permit Former Planned Parenthood Director to Become Federal Judge CNSnews.com

HT: Pearcey Report