Thursday, May 19, 2005

Media Matters for America put together a list of the 'Top 10 filibuster falsehoods'

With Senate debate on two of President Bush's most controversial judicial nominees beginning May 18, the heated rhetoric over the so-called "nuclear option" to ban Senate filibusters on judicial nominations has reached its boiling point. The rules of the Senate thus far remain intact, but filibuster opponents have pulled all rhetorical stops, advancing numerous falsehoods and distortions, and, as Media Matters for America documents below, the media have too often perpetuated that misinformation by unskeptically, and sometimes even deliberately, repeating it.

Top 10 filibuster falsehoods

Falsehood #1: Democrats' filibuster of Bush nominees is "unprecedented"

Falsehood #2: Bush's filibustered nominees have all been rated well-qualified by the ABA; blocking such highly rated nominees is unprecedented

Falsehood #3: Democratic obstructionism has led to far more judicial vacancies during Republican administrations than Democratic administrations

Falsehood #4: "Nuclear Option" is a Democratic term

Falsehood #5: Democrats oppose Bush nominees because of their faith, race, ethnicity, gender, stance on abortion, stance on parental notification ...

Falsehood #6: Public opinion polling shows clear opposition to judicial filibusters, support for "nuclear option"

Falsehood #7: Filibustering judicial nominees is unconstitutional

Falsehood #8: Clinton's appellate confirmation rate was far better than Bush's rate

Falsehood #9: Sen. Byrd's alterations to filibuster rules set precedent for "nuclear option"

Falsehood #10: Democrats have opposed "all" or "most" of Bush's judicial nominees

More insights on the falsehoods
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