Thursday, November 20, 2003
The next Vice President?
DNC: Kicking Ass provides the text of Sen. Mary Landrieu's speech during the 39 hour debate last week.
|
Ms. LANDRIEU. The number the distinguished Senator from Utah did not recognize — I don't know why he would not recognize it since he is chairman of the committee, but he says he doesn't recognize it. The number is 98. Ninety-eight percent of the judges that were sent to this Senate by President Bush we have approved — 98 percent. There are not many people in America, not white people, or black people, or Spanish people, or women, or men, who think the Senate should approve 100 percent of any President's nominees. It is beyond the realm of reason, particularly a President who did not win the popular vote.This exchange was the highlight of the debate. Hatch changed the rules when the bastards took the Senate in 1994 and he changed them again when Bush took office. He's the worst kind of hypocrite and I'm glad someone in the Senate had the balls to call him on it.
Earlier in the debate, the chairman, who also doesn't recognize this number, this 98 percent, also fails to recognize the numbers in the last election. The numbers of the last election were Bush 50,456,169; Gore 50,996,116. So 500,000 more people voted for Vice President Gore in the popular vote than President Bush. He won by a handful of electoral votes in Florida, and we know that. The Court decided it. I am not complaining about it, but numbers are important. Let me tell you another number…
Mr. SESSIONS. Will the Senator yield for a question?
Ms. LANDRIEU. I will not.
Mr. REID. Regular order.
Ms. LANDRIEU. I will not yield for a question. Another number is 63. I want the public who is watching this - and I think a lot of people are watching this, and I am glad because this is what the next election is going to be about, and I am very excited to help lead this fight. Sixty-three nominees were blocked. It wasn't an open filibuster. It wasn't debated in the open, like tonight where there are no secrets and we can all speak about what we believe. This was done in secret, and not by many Senators who represent millions of people, but maybe by one Senator who just decided he or she didn't like the nominee, and so they would not sign the slip.
The chairman of the committee reigns over this. He understands this number 63. They didn't even have the decency of getting a vote or a hearing in committee because the chairman from Utah had a system in place that blocked them.
Mr. HATCH. Will the Senator yield?
Ms. LANDRIEU. No, I will not yield.
