Chuck Schumer: “Mr. President, this debate ends as it began, with this one immutable fact: 168 to 4; 168 judges confirmed, 4 rejected.…”

“Mr. President, this debate ends as it began, with this one immutable fact: 168 to 4; 168 judges confirmed, 4 rejected. The other side has spent 39 hours trying to come up with other signs, trying to come up with other ways. In reality, this debate has actually helped our side because this fact stands out above all others. Are we being obstructionist when we approve 168 and reject 4? Everyone but the most extreme of Americans say absolutely not. Are we violating what the Founding Fathers wanted when they talked about advise and consent when we merely blocked 4, 2 percent of the 100 percent of the judges brought up? Every seventh grader who studies constitutional law knows that 168 to 4 is not obstructionist. The bottom line is the other side has spent hours on sophistry, successful filibusters are wrong, but unsuccessful filibusters are OK because they engaged in filibusters on judicial candidates in 2000 and 1994 and previously. Filibusters of judges are unconstitutional, but filibusters of statutes, of laws, of bills are perfectly OK. What sophistry.”