Just yesterday I wrote a post about the fact that Manuel Miranda seems to think that the time-line for a vote on Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court should be determined primarily by … well, Manuel Miranda.
Today, CQ reports that Miranda and his Third Branch Conference will be sending a letter to Senators tomorrow demanding that any debate and vote on the nomination be held off until after the August recess:
The Third Branch Conference will send a letter to senators Friday asking that debate on Sotomayor’s nomination be postponed until September, said the group’s leader, Manuel Miranda.
“It would be a failure of leadership to allow a confirmation vote before the August recess,” Miranda said Thursday.
Asked about the idea Thursday, Jeff Sessions, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said, “I haven’t given that any thought. Obviously they’re trying to rush this through.”
But Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin, D-Ill., who serves on the Judiciary Committee told reporters the confirmation schedule will not slip into September.
Miranda said the focus should be on trying to push back the floor vote rather than Sotomayor’s confirmation hearing scheduled to begin in the Senate Judiciary Committee on July 13.
“I’m afraid the postponed hearing will be the basis for a barter,” Miranda said, in which Republicans would agree to a floor vote prior to the August recess.
Despite Miranda’s claim that they would never engage in an “obstructive filibuster” of Sotomayor’s nomination, you can already see them plotting to do just that by incessantly issuing demands that, are they not met, they can use to justify to filibuster or otherwise obstruct the confirmation process.
The Hill has more on this “not-a-filibuster” effort to filibuster Sotomayor’s nomination:
A coalition of more than 100 conservative activists have called on Senate Republicans to delay a final vote on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor until the fall.
A group of conservatives have called on Senate Republicans to use every tactic at their disposal to hold up Sotomayor’s confirmation until September.
“The confirmation debate and the final vote should occur is September and Republicans should ensure that happens, to allow the American people to engage in this debate,” said Manuel Miranda, chairman of the Third Branch Conference, which includes groups such as the American Conservative Union, Americans for Tax Reform, Focus on the Family and Concerned Women for America.
The Third Branch Conference polled its members in recent days and found unanimous desire among more than 100 conservative activists and leaders to press Senate Republicans for a delay.
“This issue is bigger than partisan politics; some of the statements Sotomayor has made should be of concern to everybody,” said Mario Diaz, policy director of legal issues for Concerned Women for America.
Members of the coalition will begin contacting and writing letters to Senate Republicans on Friday.
…
Miranda argued that Republicans could delay the nomination by refusing to participate in a vote to move Sotomayor to the Senate floor.
Rule IV of the Judiciary Committee states that at least one member of the minority party must vote to cut off debate in committee.
