Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the majority leader has been required to file cloture in this extraordinary case in an attempt to overcome a Republican filibuster on the nomination of Jim Cole to be Deputy Attorney General. This is a key national security position and the No. 2 position at the Department of Justice. Certainly, with what has happened in the past week or so, it is important for this President or any President to have a full national security team. I thought back, and I could not remember a time in my 37 years here where the Senate has filibustered a President's nomination to be Deputy Attorney General. I asked Senate Judiciary Committee staff to check that and they found that the Senate has never filibustered a President's nomination to be Deputy Attorney General. In fact, during the time I was chairman of the committee, we quickly moved on President Bush's Deputy Attorneys General, even on those who would not have been my choice. We knew it was a national security position and it is important at a time when we face the threats we do here and abroad that we have that position filled. In fact, I thought it would be unconscionable, whether it was President Bush, President Reagan or any other President, to stall a Deputy Attorney General. Mr. Cole's nomination to fill this critical national security position was blocked last year, when it was pending on the Senate's Executive Calendar for 155 days after it was reported favorably by the Judiciary Committee.…”