Gonzales Vote for Attorney General

[The Vorlon]

Judiciary is perhaps the most partisan committee in the entire senate, so a 10-8 party line vote is hardly a shock.

I'll go with Gonzales getting 68 votes.


Committee approves Gonzales
Full Senate will debate Attorney General candidate next week
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 Posted: 1:16 PM EST (1816 GMT)
 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A Senate Judiciary Committee divided along partisan lines advanced Alberto Gonzales' nomination as attorney general to the full Senate Wednesday despite Democratic complaints that he is too close to President Bush to be effective as the nation's top law enforcement official.

"It's hard to be a straight shooter when you're a blind loyalist," said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-New York.

Republicans muscled Gonzales' nomination through the panel on a 10-8 party line vote and are expected to use their 55-44 advantage to confirm him in the full Senate next week at the earliest.

Bush had urged lawmakers earlier Wednesday to "promptly act and confirm Judge Al Gonzales. He'll be a great attorney general."

"The political theater, delays and attempts to obstruct this outstanding nomination are now one step away from their rightful conclusion: an up-or-down vote on the Senate floor," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, after the committee vote.

The party line vote for Gonzales mirrored the vote four years ago for current Attorney General John Ashcroft, who is still a lightning rod for Democratic criticism.

"Even voting against him [Gonzales], he's a significant improvement over the attorney general we have there now," said Sen. Joseph Biden, D-Delaware.

But being "less polarizing than John Ashcroft is not enough to get my vote," Schumer said.

Democrats complained that Gonzales was evasive with his answers to their questions about White House policies in the war on terror. They have used his nomination and that of Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to criticize the Iraq war and the treatment of foreign prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, in Afghanistan and at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Democrats laid much of the blame at Gonzales' feet. "Based on the glimpses of secret policy formulations and legal rationales that have come to light, I believe his judgments not to have been sound," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont.

"His judgment is defective," Biden added.

Republicans said Gonzales shouldn't be the scapegoat for what happened to foreign prisoners.

"Most of these allegations have nothing to do with Judge Gonzales and in any event have been thoroughly discussed," said Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Arizona.

Gonzales, who served as White House counsel during Bush's first term, would replace Ashcroft if confirmed. He would be the nation's first Hispanic attorney general.

Democrats say they will require several hours of debate on the Senate floor before allowing a confirmation vote.

"I think that a man who gave the legal advice to the president to allow this to take place is someone that deserves to be talked about on the Senate floor," Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada said Tuesday

[Blue Rectangle]

I think at least 10 Democrats will vote for him, so he'll break 60.

Bonus question:
How many Republican votes will he get?
I'm guessing 53.

[The Vorlon]

I think at least 10 Democrats will vote for him, so he'll break 60.

Bonus question:
How many Republican votes will he get?
I'm guessing 53.

The correct answer is he will get 50 GOP votes.

[Acastus]

So which Republicans will vote no, do you think?

Chafee for sure.  Who else?  Snowe? Collins? Specter?

[nclib]

I think he'll get 70-75 votes.

[True Democrat]

I think he'll get 65-70 votes.

[Rob]

He'll get somewhere in the 60+ range.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Close to 60

[J. J.]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

[MHS2002]

I'll say around 65.

[??????????]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

[Alcon]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

Racist?

Opposing a minority in a political context does not make them racist. Sure, there are racists, but they are not the majority any more than they are in your party - whatever party that is.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

Sorry, that card has already been played to death. The Republicans calling Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Ted Kennedy anti-Catholic was pretty silly.

[??????????]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

Sorry, that card has already been played to death. The Republicans calling Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Ted Kennedy anti-Catholic was pretty silly.

So says JFraud.

[J. J.]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

Sorry, that card has already been played to death. The Republicans calling Senator Patrick Leahy and Senator Ted Kennedy anti-Catholic was pretty silly.

Nobody's saying those two are anti-Catholic, but someone voting against him could appear anti-Hispanic.

[opebo]

Breaks 70.  Being Hispanic helps.

Well not to the Democrats. They have been very racist in their attitudes towards Rice and Powell and Thomas.

It is not racist to disagree with people of other races. 

[agcatter]

Tell that to the NAACP.

[minionofmidas]

I'll go out on a limb and predict he'll get more votes than he deserves.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

I'll go out on a limb and predict he'll get more votes than he deserves.

he'll certainly get more than 0 votes, so yes.

[KEmperor]

Tell that to the NAACP.

[A18]

Tell that to the NAACP.

Haha. Brilliant!

[Smash255]

I say 58-59 votes,  7 or 8 Dems will vote for him, Chafee, Specter, Collins & possibly Snowe will vote against him

[nini2287]

Final tally:  60 votes for, 38 against with all 38 No votes from Dems

[Blue Rectangle]

Final tally:  60 votes for, 38 against with all 38 No votes from Dems

I show 60 yea, 36 nay and 4 nonvotes.

6 Dems voted yea: Landrieu (D-LA) Lieberman (D-CT) Nelson (D-FL) Nelson (D-NE) Pryor (D-AR) Salazar (D-CO) and 1 Rep didn't vote.

I was surprised by nays from Clinton and Bingaman.  I'm happy Salazar came through, though.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

Close to 60

I think 60 is close to 60.