Lynn C. Woolsey: “I was recently playing a card game with my 5-year-old grandson, Teddy. And he knows it is wrong to change the rules in…”

“I was recently playing a card game with my 5-year-old grandson, Teddy. And he knows it is wrong to change the rules in the middle of the game just to win. But the Republicans do not seem to play by any rules. If they sense vulnerability, they will rewrite historical laws to suit their needs. That is exactly what they did in the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, and that is exactly what they are trying to do by eliminating the filibuster in the judicial nomination process. Americans do not want this Nation to be run by leaders willing to change the rules, to forgo the laws of the land, to cater to their special interests. They do not want judicial nominees that are bullied through Congress. They want qualified candidates that receive bipartisan approval like the other 200-plus Bush nominees approved by the Senate. Changing the rules of the game to make an exception for 10 judges is not democratic. It is a blatant abuse of power. Mr. Speaker, this is something even a 5-year-old can understand. ____________________”