Priscilla Owen was confirmed by a 56-43 vote, with Democratic Senators Landrieu and Byrd voting for her and Republican Senator Chafee voting against. I agree with this press release:
Liberal pressure groups and Senate Democrats ranted for months and years that Justice Owen was an ‘extremist’ whose confirmation must be prevented at all costs. Well, now she’s been confirmed by a bipartisan majority, proving that all the Democrat bluster was a fraud.
"The Senate will now move on to the rest of President Bush’s judicial nominees, and one thing is clear: each and every nominee is entitled to an up-or-down vote, just as Majority Leader Frist and the Republicans have said all along. The confirmation of Justice Owen also confirms that her judicial philosophy, like that of the rest of the President’s nominees, does not constitute an ‘extraordinary circumstance’ under the terms of the compromise agreement entered Monday evening by 14 Senators.
I am glad that she was confirmed, but let’s not exaggerate the "bipartisan" nature of the vote. Only 2 Democrats for and 1 Republican against actually shows that the vote was highly partisan.
Then again, why should we care? "Bipartisan" isn’t a social good in and of itself. It is sufficient for me that she got 50 + 1.
50 + 1... wasn’t that the exact Senate vote that enabled the Clinton Administration to confiscate more wealth from the American people via the 1993 budget deal? Why were the minority’s rights ignored back then?
If Republicans are so stupid as to think the confirmation of the "extremist" Owen will serve as a future benchmark definition of who is not "extraordinary," then they truly deserve the monicker, "The Stupid Party."