Morristown rally backs right to debate
judicial nominees
Frist's comments on Sunday broadcast also roused anger
By Staff reports, Daily Record, from the Web, April 29, 2005
MORRISTOWN, NJ April 28 -- About 60 people rallied in front of the Morris County Courthouse on Wednesday to oppose a proposed change in U.S. Senate rules that would prohibit filibustering during debates over judicial appointments and reduce the number of votes needed to confirm a lifetime appointment.
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Concerned citizens demonstrate against the Senate Republicans' effort to end Democratic filibusters of judicial nominees in Morristown on Wednesday. Some of those at the rally said some Republicans in Congress are mixing church and state and favoring one religion over others.
Dawn Benko / Daily Record |
The rally was organized by Alex Lemski of Morris Plains and Edwina Ekstrom of Belvidere, who said they believe any lifetime appointment should be thoroughly debated by all members of the Senate.
"We were also motivated to organize this rally because of Sunday's broadcast of 'Justice Sunday' sponsored by several Protestant groups and featuring Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist as one of the speakers," the two said in a statement.
The two maintained that the broadcast put forth the idea that opposition to the "nuclear option" or to the confirmation of their choices for the judiciary was anti-Christian and that anyone holding the opposition viewpoint was not a person of faith.
"Such claims are an attack on our freedom of religion, slander the millions of Americans who do not hold their religious viewpoint, and because the Senate majority leader was a party to such a broadcast, suggest a dangerous marriage of national politics and one religion," the statement said.
The Senate is bracing for a showdown over Republicans' threat to use their majority to change the parliamentary rules to ban judicial filibusters -- a tactic in which opponents can prevent a vote on a nomination with just 41 votes in the 100-member Senate.
Minority Democrats have used the filibuster to block confirmation votes on 10 of President Bush's appeals court choices, arguing that the nominees are too conservative for lifetime appointments.
"The filibuster protects us from a one-party tyranny," Lemski said at the rally.
Referring to senators in favor of banning the filibuster, Ekstrom said they protect the rights of only certain Christians and not people of all faiths.
"We want the courts to be moderate and impartial," said Ekstrom.
The county courthouse was chosen as the site for the rally because it symbolizes courts and the judiciary, according to organizers.
Deb Huber of Tewksbury attended the rally with an American flag that replaced the stars with the logos of Fortune 500 companies.
"These senators pick and chose what to talk about in the Bible," Huber said.
"Our country is based on separation of church and state."
Also on Wednesday, former Vice President Al Gore blamed Republican "lust for one-party domination" for the GOP campaign to change Senate rules on filibustering judicial nominees, and he assailed religious zealots for driving the effort.
Wading into the political fight that has roiled the Senate, the 2000 Democratic presidential candidate and former Tennessee senator warned that altering rules that have served the nation for 230 years would result in a breakdown in the separation of powers.
"What makes it so dangerous for our country is their willingness to do serious damage to our American democracy in order to satisfy their lust for one-party domination of all three branches of government," Gore said of the GOP in a speech.
"They seek nothing less than absolute power."
Gore also cited recent comments from leaders of two conservative organizations -- the Family Research Council and Focus on the Family -- about disenfranchising certain courts or denying them funds.
"This aggressive new strain of right-wing religious zealotry is actually a throwback to the intolerance that led to the creation of America in the first place," Gore said.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council Action, said it was clear from Gore's comments "that he is the one that wants to exclude people from the public square based upon some religious litmus test.
That is wrong. All Americans have a voice in our system of government."
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said that "if Democrats wonder why they are the minority party, they should look no further than Al Gore's comments today.
Americans have moved on, and want their leaders to focus on an agenda, rather than obstruction."
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