Le Jacquelope
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- Apr 9, 2003
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America is full of traitors, damn them!
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050521/ap_on_go_co/judges_ap_ipsos_poll_6
Poll: Most Want Assertive Senate on Judges
By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer Fri May 20,11:25 PM ET
WASHINGTON - More than three-quarters of Americans say the Senate should aggressively examine federal judicial nominees and not just approve them because they are the president's choices.
That's one of the few aspects of this divisive issue that gets widespread agreement, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday.
Respondents favored conservative over liberal judges in general, 47 percent to 39 percent. As for a possible Supreme Court nominee, 52 percent said they felt comfortable that
President Bush would pick the right kind of justice; 46 percent said they did not feel comfortable he would.
Senators are locked in a fierce fight over what is required to approve the more controversial federal court nominees. Republicans want them approved by a simple majority, while the Democrats want to require the 60 votes needed to override a blocking filibuster. The Democrats say a minority party needs the method to ensure checks on the majority.
Both sides point to the Senate's duty to "advise and consent" on presidential nominations. Republicans say that means great deference is given to the president, while Democrats say it means those put forward should be closely scrutinized.
Senate Republicans have set the stage for a showdown next Tuesday. Unless centrists seeking a compromise can strike a deal before then, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will force a test vote on Texas Judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That could set in motion a series of events designed to make filibusters illegal.
The poll found 78 percent believe the Senate should take an "assertive role" examining judicial nominees rather than just give the president the benefit of the doubt. There were majorities among each political affiliation — Democrats, Republicans and independents.
"I'm probably more on the conservative side, but I think the Senate should closely look at each nominee," said Heidi Densel, a Republican from Fort Wayne, Ind.
Democrat Carol Zebott of Duluth, Minn., said she wants the Senate to examine the judicial choices of the president because "I just think he has been making a lot of bad decisions lately."
A powerful force driving the current battle in the Senate over judges is the possibility of one or more openings on the Supreme Court during Bush's second term.
Twenty-nine percent said they feel very comfortable that the president would pick the "right kind of justice," while 32 percent said they are "not at all comfortable," according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos.
In November, people were slightly more likely to say they were "very comfortable" than "not at all comfortable."
Billy Monday, a political independent who lives near Hickory, N.C., said he trusts the president to make good appointments on the court because: "The decisions he makes — pretty tough decisions — he meets head-on."
But James Henderson, a Democratic professor from Titusville, Pa., said he's not very comfortable that the president will pick the right nominee for the Supreme Court or other federal courts. "I would prefer them to be liberal, but I'm not holding my breath."
Forty-seven percent said they would prefer federal judges who are very or somewhat conservative, while 39 percent favored somewhat or very liberal.
Just over half said that federal judges make decisions mostly on their interpretation of the law, while 43 percent said judges rely mostly on their personal feelings and political views.
"I think they make decisions based on the law," said Janice Tijerina, a semiretired Republican from Grand Rapids, Mich., "but with a little bit of their personal feelings."
The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,028 adults was taken May 17-19 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050521/ap_on_go_co/judges_ap_ipsos_poll_6
Poll: Most Want Assertive Senate on Judges
By WILL LESTER, Associated Press Writer Fri May 20,11:25 PM ET
WASHINGTON - More than three-quarters of Americans say the Senate should aggressively examine federal judicial nominees and not just approve them because they are the president's choices.
That's one of the few aspects of this divisive issue that gets widespread agreement, according to an Associated Press-Ipsos poll released Friday.
Respondents favored conservative over liberal judges in general, 47 percent to 39 percent. As for a possible Supreme Court nominee, 52 percent said they felt comfortable that
President Bush would pick the right kind of justice; 46 percent said they did not feel comfortable he would.
Senators are locked in a fierce fight over what is required to approve the more controversial federal court nominees. Republicans want them approved by a simple majority, while the Democrats want to require the 60 votes needed to override a blocking filibuster. The Democrats say a minority party needs the method to ensure checks on the majority.
Both sides point to the Senate's duty to "advise and consent" on presidential nominations. Republicans say that means great deference is given to the president, while Democrats say it means those put forward should be closely scrutinized.
Senate Republicans have set the stage for a showdown next Tuesday. Unless centrists seeking a compromise can strike a deal before then, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist will force a test vote on Texas Judge Priscilla Owen's nomination to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. That could set in motion a series of events designed to make filibusters illegal.
The poll found 78 percent believe the Senate should take an "assertive role" examining judicial nominees rather than just give the president the benefit of the doubt. There were majorities among each political affiliation — Democrats, Republicans and independents.
"I'm probably more on the conservative side, but I think the Senate should closely look at each nominee," said Heidi Densel, a Republican from Fort Wayne, Ind.
Democrat Carol Zebott of Duluth, Minn., said she wants the Senate to examine the judicial choices of the president because "I just think he has been making a lot of bad decisions lately."
A powerful force driving the current battle in the Senate over judges is the possibility of one or more openings on the Supreme Court during Bush's second term.
Twenty-nine percent said they feel very comfortable that the president would pick the "right kind of justice," while 32 percent said they are "not at all comfortable," according to the poll conducted for the AP by Ipsos.
In November, people were slightly more likely to say they were "very comfortable" than "not at all comfortable."
Billy Monday, a political independent who lives near Hickory, N.C., said he trusts the president to make good appointments on the court because: "The decisions he makes — pretty tough decisions — he meets head-on."
But James Henderson, a Democratic professor from Titusville, Pa., said he's not very comfortable that the president will pick the right nominee for the Supreme Court or other federal courts. "I would prefer them to be liberal, but I'm not holding my breath."
Forty-seven percent said they would prefer federal judges who are very or somewhat conservative, while 39 percent favored somewhat or very liberal.
Just over half said that federal judges make decisions mostly on their interpretation of the law, while 43 percent said judges rely mostly on their personal feelings and political views.
"I think they make decisions based on the law," said Janice Tijerina, a semiretired Republican from Grand Rapids, Mich., "but with a little bit of their personal feelings."
The AP-Ipsos poll of 1,028 adults was taken May 17-19 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
