Unprecedented obstruction by GOP

Ronald A. LeMahieu, West Windsor
To the editor:
Last week Senate Democrats voted to end filibusters of the president’s nominees for judicial positions except for the Supreme Court. For the record, no nominees of Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford or George H. W. Bush were filibustered. Nine of President Clinton’s and seven of George W. Bush’s nominees were filibustered. In contrast, 82 of President Obama’s judicial nominees have been filibustered. Under all previous presidents of the US, only 86 nominees have been filibustered.
   The founders of our country did not want supermajorities (60 votes in the Senate) except for passage of treaties, impeachments, overturning a veto or to amend the Constitution. James Madison wrote “supermajority requirements would turn democracy on its head.” The majority would no longer rule — the minority would. This has been the situation during most of Obama’s term in office. Today’s conservatives use any means at their disposal to control the courts and to limit any social reform legislation. Five conservative Supreme Court justices gave the presidency to George W. Bush. The court then gave us decisions such as Citizens United, which permitted big money in our politics (more than $300 million in 2012) and another which eliminated part of the Voting Rights Act, which makes it more difficult for minorities to register to vote.
   With their opposition to President Obama’s three recent nominees to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Republicans have gone too far. Some time ago, the Republican leader in the Senate said essentially that their goal was to make sure the Obama’s was a failed presidency. Since he took office, Republicans have become the party of NO — just say NO to all his initiatives and never propose any constructive solutions to the nations problems. They will no longer be able to just say NO to his judicial nominees.
Ronald A. LeMahieu
West Windsor