2004 Presidential Transition
Tuesday, U.S. Senator from Colorado Ken Salazar, urged President Bush to withdraw some judicial nominees, according to the Denver Post [March 2, 2005, "Salazar urges rescinding controversial nominees"]. The Senate has confirmed over 200 of the president's appointments but Democrats have used filibusters and the threat to stall a handful. From the article, "Sen. Ken Salazar urged President Bush to withdraw his most controversial judicial nominees Tuesday, including that of former Interior Department Solicitor William G. Myers, the highest-profile Western appointee. Salazar, D-Colo., who angered many Democrats when he publicly endorsed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, said he stepped into the bitter battle over nominations to further his goal of a more bipartisan Senate."
The Denver Post editorial staff weighs in on Senator Salazar's gambit [March 2, 2005, "Salazar asks Bush to withdraw nominees"]. They write, "Myers went before the committee on Tuesday and is likely to win its endorsement, given the 10-8 GOP edge on the panel. But Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid said when the nomination gets to the floor, most Democrats will oppose him. Majority Leader Bill Frist has threatened to advance a rule change that would require only 51 votes to end a filibuster on judicial nominees rather than the current 60.Insiders refer to that as a 'nuclear option' and, for his part, Salazar told The Post: 'I would hope that issue is not one that has to come up. That's the reason I sent my letter to the president.'"
Update: Blogs for Bush is not amused.
5:41:19 AM 
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