Good afternoon . .
Republican sources say Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) will use the "constitutional option" on the nomination to 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals. The "option will change Senate rules to ban the use of a filibuster for judicial nominees.
Throughout the "negotiations" with Democrats, Judge Owen has been the nominee most mentioned as the "trigger" for the "option."
Owen's nomination has been active for four years, each time her name came to the Judiciary Committee is was voted out on strict party lines. Once the nomination reached the floor, Democrats filibustered the nomination until it died. Judge Owen has been denied an "up or down" vote because of a minority of Senators. The rule change will allow Owen to be treated fairly by the US Senate.
Will Frist actually use the "option" this time? History says he will not, but at some point the Republican majority has to stand up and show the Democrats who is in charge.
Frist plans to use 'option' on nomination of Owen - The Washington Times: Nation/Politics - May 10, 2005
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Democrats are threatening to hold up the Senate Foreign Relations Committee vote on John Bolton's nomination for ambassador to the UN. The vote is scheduled for May 12.
The Democrats under the leadership of Joseph Biden (d-DE) want more documents from the State Department. Committee chairman Richard Lugar (R-IN) has asked the State Department to provide only relevant documents and to refuse Biden's fishing expedition.
Sources in the State Department say that the committee has received all the documents it plans to provide. The Democrats responded by asking for more documents, but pared down the request. The committee Democrats have received no further documents.
If Lugar and the Republicans want to regain control of the committee and Bolton PR, it will be necessary to force the vote on Thursday. It would be a 10-8 vote and move forward to the Senate floor where there is always the possibility of a filibuster.
KDKA: State Department Offers Bolton Material
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The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia has ruled that Voice President Dick Cheney is not required to turnover documents or reveal details of the energy policy task force.
The lawsuit, filed by the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch, alleged that energy industry officials were part of the task force while environmental groups were excluded. It also argued that the task force was a federal advisory committee and required to publicly disclose its documents.
The appeals court disagreed saying that the groups failed to prove that the task force was a government entity.
"There is nothing to indicate that nonfederal employees had a right to vote on committee matters or exercise a veto over committee proposals," it said. The court ordered a lower court to dismiss the case.
Las Vegas SUN: Appeals Court Sides With Cheney in Lawsuit
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Former Hollywood mogul, Peter Paul, is at the heart of the allegations against former Hillary Clinton fundraiser, David Rosen.
Paul said on Fox News Radio Monday he intends to call the junior senator in a related civil suit. He said, It is critical to get Clinton under oath because it appears the government won't call her as a witness in David Rosen's trial."
Rosen is accused of lying to federal regulators about the amount of money spent at a Clinton fundraiser in 2000, By under-reporting the costs, Rosen illegally allowed the Clinton campaign to receive more money that appropriate.
While the government has no plans to call Clinton as a witness or charge her, papers have been filed width the Senate Ethics Committee about the fundraiser. Those papers say Clinton knew about the false information because she kept track of her campaign funds on a daily basis. If Clinton did appear would she tell the truth or would she ask what the definition of "is is."
Rosen's criminal trial begins today.
NewsMax.com: Inside Cover Story
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More tomorrow.
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