Open letter to Republican Senators

This is the text of an open letter that has been sent to a certain seven Republican Senators:

Thursday, April 21, 2005

Senator John McCain, Arizona
Senator Lincoln Chafee, Rhode Island
Senator Susan Collins, Maine
Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine
Senator Chuck Hagel, Nebraska
Senator John Sununu, New Hampshire
Senator John Warner, Virginia

RE: Judicial filibusters

Esteemed Senators,

This is an open letter that will be published at my blog, My Dogs are Smarter. As indicated above, I am writing to share my feelings on the issue of judicial nominations and the obstruction of numerous nominees that the President has sent to the Senate that are currently blocked via the Democrats use of the filibuster.

There is no single domestic issue that drove your party’s base to the polls last November more than judicial nominees. The National Republican Senate Committee told us that with an increased Senate majority, the Republicans would address the issue of judicial filibusters via a rules-change. Well, we did our part and the time has come for you, as a body, to do yours.

It is perceived that many of you--and at least one of you is on the record as saying you will not support such--are contemplating voting against a change in the rules that would bring cloture with 51 votes rather than 60 and allow these nominees to come up for a vote on the floor. I cannot urge you any more strongly to vote ‘Yes’ when the time comes to change this rule.

It is my view that this is a party vote. Once more, it is a defining moment for the Republican party in 2005; your party at-large wants this and a vote against it is something that will not go down well.

When the time comes you all must vote how you feel you must vote but know that a ‘No’ vote here will come with a potential price for some or all of you. As a resident of Arizona, I will no longer be able to support my Senator. While I voted for him in 2004, I will not support him in his next primary run or in the general election next time around. To the extent that it is feasible, I will also support opponents of the other six senators here named. That is how strongly I feel on the subject.

Sincerely,

Paul Hogue
Phoenix, Arizona