An interesting review of an interesting book. (See 1 below.)
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Trump endorses black West Pointer who wants to be a Senator from Michigan. He should be running for Governor of Georgia. (See 2 below.)
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The Democrat Party and a significant number of those who support it have a mostly negative outlook Schumer, Pelosi and Waters offer no constructive policies beyond obstruction., What ideas radicals, who are dragging the party far left, have are foreign to American culture and defy our Constitution. They believe everything is an entitlement and a free one yet, have no clue how to pay for them. They favor open borders, they want illegal immigrants to be able to vote, receive social security and believe states and cities have the right to defy federal laws. They have contempt for those who enforce our laws and those who believe we are a nation that lives by laws.
Senior members of the entire intelligence community were in cahoots with Trump's opponent in seeking his defeat and depended upon a specious dossier in order to spy on his administration and now they want to impeach Trump because they find his personality objectionable.
Meanwhile,the mass media have become Putin's servant and handmaiden. Trump is attacked for attacking them but their bias is beyond anything seen in recent history so they do not come into the court of public opinion with clean hands.
Winning was critical to the likes of Comey, Strzok, Brennan, etc.because Hillary's election would have served to protect/bury their skulduggery and insure their continuance in office and power.
I suspect, if the economy remains positive, the Mid Term Elections will prove disappointing for Democrats as more of the unaligned middle find Trump's achievements appealing and former Democrats, now deemed deplorables, will switch their votes as well as they did in 2016. Based on Trump's accomplishments and benefits they have received they see/have no reason to change.
However, liberals, progressives, Hollywood types and Democrats are more than capable of voting against our nation's and their own best interests and have been doing so for decades.
In the final analysis, Obama's "Hope and Change" lurched us towards disaster and now the Democrats want to lurch further left with more radicals leading the way. I do not believe it will work but if it does you can kiss our Republic goodbye because we will never recover from these wounds.
Time will tell. It always does. What do you think? (See 3 below.)
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A little humor. (See 4 below.)
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Dick
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1)"Israel Matters": Samford Theologian Rethinks His Views
By Richard Friedman
BJF Executive Director
If you're interested in a ringside seat as a prominent Birmingham-based Anglican theologian goes through a profound and positive evolution regarding his thoughts about Jews and Israel, then there's a new book for you and others interested in Christian thinking about the Jewish people and the Jewish state.
"Israel Matters: Why Christians Must Think Differently about the People and the Land" is the title of a relatively new and thought-provoking book by Anglican evangelical theologian Gerald McDermott, who is currently affiliated with Birmingham's Samford University.
In his book, McDermott challenges his own previous view that Jews, in God's view, became a peripheral people when as a people they did not accept Jesus as the Messiah and, as a result, their relationship to their land and the land itself lost its significance.
McDermott also revises his view that Jesus, the ascendancy of Christianity and the Church replaced Israel and the Jewish people as God's covenantal partners.
He also examines his tendency at one time to accept the false claims that modern Israel was established on land "stolen" from Arabs, that Israel oppresses Palestinians, and that Zionism -- which maintains that the Jewish people have a right to sovereignty in some portion of their biblical homeland -- is a racist ideology.
With grace and humility, and an easy-to-read style despite tackling complex subjects, McDermott writes that as a result of his continued biblical studies, willingness to consider things in new ways, and multiple visits to Israel, that he was wrong on each account.
In addition, as part of his journey -- a journey marked by some heavy-duty rethinking and rereading of both the Old and New Testaments -- he also evolved from being dubious about Christian Zionists to becoming one himself. (The term Christian Zionists refers to Christians who are passionate supporters of Israel and ardent defenders of its biblical legitimacy.)
Having served as Executive Director of the Birmingham Jewish Federation for 35 years in one of our nation's most heavily evangelical Christian states, and watching with fascination the positive transformation of Christian attitudes and support for Jews and Israel, this book is a handy primer -- and a GPS for understanding McDermott's dramatic evolution.
If you are interested in learning more about how Christians think about Jews, both biblically and today; how they've come to reconcile Jewish non-acceptance of Jesus as the Messiah with their Christian belief that he is and that acceptance of him is the one true path to salvation; and how Christians have come to be among Israel's most ardent supporters, then this book is for you.
Two suggestions: The book might have been strengthened by a brief explanation of why Jews don't consider Jesus to be the Messiah (see below link) and a note that most Jews consider "Messianic Jews" -- those who say they are Jewish and accept Jesus as their Messiah -- to be Christians, not Jews.
Nonetheless, these suggestions do not detract from McDermott's excellent and thoughtful book which I enjoyed reading and which reminded me that we are lucky to have this outstanding theologian and writer here in Birmingham.
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2) John James, Black and Republican, Thinks He Can Crack the ‘Blue Wall’ in Michigan
Mr. James, 37, is a West Point graduate who spent eight years in the Army. He is the president of his family-run business. And he wants to become a senator.
Nowhere on anyone’s handicapping lists of tossup Senate races will you find Michigan. And nowhere on the roster of A-list Republican challengers would you have found John James. Until last week. With two tweets and his caps lock on, President Trump endorsed Mr. James in the Michigan Republican primary — “SPECTACULAR!” — giving the underdog campaign a jolt just before voters head to the polls on Tuesday.
.@JohnJamesMI, who is running in the Republican Primary in the great state of Michigan, is SPECTACULAR! Vote on August 7th. Rarely have I seen a candidate with such great potential. West Point graduate, successful businessman and a African American leader...
...John is strong on crime and borders, loves our Military, our Vets and our Second Amendment. He will be a star. He has my full and total Endorsement!
Now Mr. James hopes he will get the chance to pull off in the general election what he has done in the primary: turn a lopsided race into a very close contest. It will be difficult — assuming he even makes it out of the primary. His opponent, Sandy Pensler, has been campaigning with the confidence of a front-runner. Mr. Pensler has more money and boasts credentials that include running his own private equity firm and teaching economics at Harvard and Yale.
But Mr. James, 37, is a standout. He is a West Point graduate who spent eight years in the Army, including service in Iraq. He is the president of his family-run business, a global provider of logistics support for Fortune 500 companies. He is also black, a rarity in his party today. The Senate has only one black Republican, Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Mr. James, who now lives not far from where he grew up in the Detroit suburbs, says he doesn’t have “a black message, or a white message.” But there is little doubt he would be at a disadvantage competing in Detroit, Michigan’s largest city where the population is 80 percent black. Hillary Clinton carried most precincts in the city with more than 90 percent of the vote.
He talked to The New York Times about his chances of putting another crack in what was once reliably the Democrats’ “blue wall” of Midwestern states that had been a bulwark for the party in presidential elections until Mr. Trump came along.
Have you spoken directly to the president?
I have not. I imagine he’s a pretty busy guy. But his endorsement did mean a lot.
Especially in a Republican primary. It can make or break races. I wonder, though, in the general election, are you going to want to broadcast that to voters, especially voters in Detroit?
I think that those who would prejudge me based on an affiliation are doing themselves a disservice. I believe that through our political process we have an opportunity for people to open their ears, their minds and their hearts to listen. I believe that I can be, should be and will be judged by the competence, credibility and character that I have and that I’m bringing to the race.
And there are going to be some people who are so blinded by their hatred of the president that they’ll miss the opportunity to have someone who will do everything he can to serve everyone in the state of Michigan. I’m looking forward to treating people like independent thinkers.
Mr. James is a West Point graduate who spent eight years in the Army, including service in Iraq.CreditMark Felix for The New York Times But would you want him to campaign for you in the general election?Absolutely. In Michigan, it may not be very clear out on the coast to a lot of folks …Come on, you can’t say that to me. I grew up there.I said a lot of people. I didn’t say you. There’s a massive disconnect. People here in Michigan feel disenfranchised and disillusioned with the situations that are going on the coasts.I actually heard on the trail somebody say Donald Trump is Rust Belt Robin Hood. And I took that to mean that we finally have a president that’s listening to the people in the Midwest.Rust Belt Robin Hood? I hadn’t heard that one before.The reason why he won in Michigan, despite what everybody said, is because people went to the polls in a secret ballot and voted for someone who they believed would take care of their personal economy, would help their economy grow, would help their job.We were told that manufacturing was dead. That 2 percent G.D.P. growth was the new normal. And President Trump said no way. We can do better.Is the “blue wall” permanently cracked? How do you prevent President Trump’s election from being a fluke?Michigan voters have the opportunity to basically answer the question. We keep sending lawyers and career politicians to Washington and we wonder why we’re not get anything done.People want somebody who understands how to run a business before they make regulations that will affect business. They want somebody who understands what it’s like to sign the front and the back of the check.+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++3)OUR PRESIDENT
These are the most profound posters I've ever seen. You may not "like" the guy, but you can't deny where his heart is and factually know what he HAS accomplished.
Come November, the Republican nominee will have to face Senator Debbie Stabenow, a three-term incumbent who won her last re-election by 20 points.Twitter Ads info and privacy
Now Russia is using social media, our own constitutional freedoms and poorly educated future Americans to destroy America. Hate Trump all you want, distrust government and question whether your vote counts. That is what Putin seeks. That is the trap he has laid for emotional, unreasoning Americans. Divisiveness over Trump is Putin's weapon of choice. because America's self destruction is more powerful than Putin's nuclear weapons and less costly..
These are a few other happenings :
a) College campuses are shut to conservatives but open to radicals.
Barnard has always been a cesspool of liberalism. The B in their BS degree stands for "Bleeder."(See 1 below.)
b) Chicago continues to fall apart as Rahm Emanuel focuses on Sanctuary status, climate change and disregards killings. This is Obamatown, don't forget, where black kill black with abandon.
c) Hypocrisy is accepted, facts are distorted or turned into false reporting. Listen to these:
Meanwhile, Trump supporters are more unlikely to take him literally and thus are able to understand the man, how he thinks, functions and does most of what he does.
The mass media, the Schumer, Pelosi, Waters crowd and Trump Haters feel compelled to take him literally so they can continue to drown themselves in their own bias and feel good virtuousness.
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Is Pompeo being the bad cop while Trump is being the good cop? Today, Pompeo openly stated N Korea is not abiding by its agreements and then we have Iran. (See 2 and 2a below.)
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If Republicans really want to save the House and increase their Senate numbers they need to have a unified message that is national in scope and not broken into messages forlocal districts. The theme should be the economic improvement, what has been accomplished. (See 3 below.)
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How America uses its land: This is an incredibly well-done and informative presentation.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Ocassionally a person' name fits who they have become. Jim Acosta's career was going nowhere until he embraced "accosting" Trump, his family members and administration personnel. Now Acosta is well known , a star and a big a--h----. (See 4 below.) ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Dick
A Middle-Eastern group with concrete links to adesignated terrorist organizationis being giving a platform at Barnard College in New York City, reports Algemeiner.
Yet, as human rights watchdog NGO Monitor noted, “more than half of Addameer’s current and former employees, as well as lawyers that work for Addameer, have links to the PFLP.”
The PFLP is a designated terrorist organization in the U.S. and 30 other countries.
As Algemeiner reports, “The terrorist group has carried out multiple attacks against civilians, including at least nine suicide bombings that claimed nearly 110 casualties during the Second Intifada [in Israel]. More recently, it orchestrated a 2014 massacre of five worshipers and one police officer in a Jerusalem synagogue.”
The event is being co-organized by the group Release Aging People in Prison (RAPP) which bills itself as a prisoner advocacy group. One member of RAPP who will attend the event is Laura Whitehorn, who spent 14 years in prison for her involvement in the 1983 bombing of the U.S. Senate and seven other sites in Washington, D.C. and New York City, including the Israel Aircraft Industries Building. Whitehorn was released on parole in 1999.
On its website, Barnard says it offers “stellar liberal arts education for women.” It calls its students “bold, brilliant and inspiring,” bragging about how “they change the world and the way we think about it.”
Further they claim, “Barnard students become agile, resilient, responsible, and creative, prepared to lead and serve their society.”
Interesting. All this by giving legitimacy and a voice to facilitators of terrorism.
This needs to stop as does tax-payer funded aid provided to Barnard students including Title IV grants, loans and work-study programs.
2) Iran’s naval exercise threatens strategic Straits of Hormuz
By SETH J. FRANTZMAN
Iran is conducting naval exercises next to the strategic Straits of Hormuz at the south end of the Persian Gulf as tensions rise with the US and Gulf states. A Navy spokesman with US Central Command said that American forces are monitoring the increased Iranian activity closely, and that the US would “ensure freedom of navigation.” The tensions come as Israel warned it will oppose any Iranian attempt to block the Bab al-Mandab straits at the south end of the Red Sea after Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen fired on Saudi Arabian tankers sailing in the strategic waters.
Using increasingly belligerent rhetoric, Iran has threatened to disrupt oil shipping in both the Straits of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab. The Straits of Hormuz, which sees 30% of the world’s sea-borne oil pass through daily, is 33 km. wide at its narrowest point. Reports indicate that Iran would use its “swarm” of speedboats to harass tankers, a tactic it has repeatedly used in recent years. Operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), these boats have harassed the US fleet and other vessels in the past. In March, British and US ships had to change course as two Iranian speedboats approached within 500 meters. In 2016, Iran captured two small US commando boats, and in 2007 Iran detained UK navy personnel.
Iran’s small boats use their speed to nimbly harass lumbering tankers. However, according to reports, the US has been training with missiles and lasers to counter the Iranian threat.
According to The National Interest, a bimonthly international affairs magazine published by Washington, DC’s Center for the National Interest, the US Navy has conducted a drill in Choctawatchee Bay in the Florida panhandle using A-10 Thunderbolt II jets to simulate machine-gunning an armada of speed boats. The A-10’s main cannon, which fires 3,900 bullets per minute at targets two km. away, could sink a swarm of little boats.
Iran’s threat to blockade the Straits of Hormuz comes amid the steep decline of the Iranian rial, new US sanctions, and increasing domestic protests against the regime of the ayatollahs. If oil sanctions are imposed on Iran, the IRGC may make good on its slogan “You love life and we love death!” to harass shipping of the US and its allies. If Iran should launch such a campaign, navy analysts would quickly learn how devastatingly effective the A-10 can be.
2a) Expert: ‘Informal Coalition’ Including Israel to Face Down Iran Over Red Sea Straits Is Possible
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Israel could well take part in an “informal coalition” to confront Iran over a strategic waterway on the Red Sea, an expert told The Algemeiner on Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned such a coalition on Wednesday following an attack on Saudi oil tankers sailing through the strategic Bab-el-Mandeb straits at the mouth of the Red Sea.
“At the beginning of the week we were witness to a sharp clash between Iran’s proxies that tried to sabotage international shipping in the strait at the mouth of the Red Sea,” Netanyahu said.
“If Iran tries to block the Bab-el-Mandeb waterway,” he added. “I am convinced that it will find itself against an international coalition determined to prevent that. This coalition will include the State of Israel and all of its branches.”
Michael Makovsky of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America told The Algemeiner that he was “struck” by Netanyahu’s statement.
“It was unusual,” he said.
Nonetheless, he stated, Israel has a definite strategic interest in denying Iran the waterway. “The Israelis, they have obvious interest in the free flow of shipping there in their own economic interest. In addition, they’re interested in that area for Iranian weapons that have flowed that way. And in general anything having to do with Iran in the region they’re very keen on.”
Moreover, the straits’ proximity to Yemen, where Iran-backed militas are involved in a civil war with a Saudi-backed Arab coalition, makes it strategically important to Israel. On a recent visit to the Jewish state, he said, “Yemen does come up. The Israelis are definitely interested. The Iranians are there, Hezbollah’s there, it affects their sea lanes, and obviously the Israelis are keen on wherever the Iranians are in the region.”
The question of Israeli military action, however, alone or as part of a coalition, is very far off. Netanyahu, Makovsky said, was probably “just trying to make a point. It’s not as if Israel is going to lead such a coalition. If there was such a coalition Israel certainly could be helpful, such as in intelligence and maybe in a few other ways. The United States would really have to take the lead in that.”
“I don’t know how serious it is, because there is no coalition that I’m aware of that exists right now. I think Netanyahu is just trying to signal the Iranians, that’s all. And he might be also trying to signal the Saudis that Israel could be also helpful to them in some of their issues. And they can be,” he added.
Historically, Israel has been excluded from regional coalitions due to Arab opposition. Asked whether this would be the case on the Bab-el-Mandeb issue, Markovsky replied, “It’s a good question. There’s an opportunity here for Israel to work with these Gulf countries in a regional coalition. The US would have to be the lead, obviously. The Israelis would be helpful in any US action, it could work well there, so you can envision an informal coalition where Israel is helpful to the United States and therefore helpful to the Saudis.”
He described such a coalition as “like a hub with the spokes” with the US at the center and Israel and the Arab states branching off separately.
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3) Failure to Communicate
Trump has a solid record, but he’s too busy making noise to tout it.
ByKimberley A. Strassel
If a tree falls in a noisy circus, does it make a sound? If the Trump administration announces its largest deregulatory effort to date while the president is in the throes of aTwitter rampage, will anybody pay attention?
No, and thereon may hang the balance of Republican congressional control. It’s never clear where Donald Trump gets political advice, if he does at all. What is clear is that this White House is doing an able job of whiffing one of the best political messages in decades, a reality that is demoralizing administration insiders and GOP candidates alike.
The following are just a few pieces of news out of Washington, all of which hold enormous promise for Americans. The Environmental Protection Agency and Transportation Department released a plan—announced on the website of these pages—to ax the Obama administration’s car-emissions standards, saving consumers $500 billion. Dollarwise, it may be the biggest deregulation ever.
The Labor Department released new numbers showing worker compensation increased 2.8% year over year, the fastest pace in a decade. Average home values are rising at twice that pace. Unemployment hit record lows. Second-quarter economic growth came in at 4.1%. The Department of Health and Human Services finalized its rule allowing more non-ObamaCare insurance options to millions of Americans. The Senate sent a $717 billion defense authorization bill to the White House, increasing active-duty strength and providing troops their largest pay raise in nine years. The Senate also confirmed the 24th Trump circuit-court judge.The Treasury has recommended rescinding the “payday lending” rule, which threatened to cut off the poorest Americans from viable credit. The Interior Department proposed the first real reforms to the Endangered Species Act in decades, offering hope to tens of thousands of landowners. The National Labor Relations Board is revisiting a 2014 decision that allowed unions to poach employer email systems, part of the board’s plan to review any case that overruled precedent in the name of Obama union backers. The Internal Revenue Service lifted a political threat to nonprofits by allowing them to shield the names of their donors.
If all this sounds wonderful, it is, though many Americans have heard little about it. The headlines? Mr. Trump publicly lecturing his attorney general. Mr. Trump hashing Charles Koch. More about Russian collusion, provoked by the president’s call for the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller. China tariffs. Border strife. Michael Cohen. Paul Manafort.
Yes, the mainstream media relentlessly drives anti-Trump stories. But what’s new? Republicans have long known they don’t get a fair hearing from the press, which is why they shifted to talk radio and other alternative media. Mr. Trump understands that better than most—thus his heavy use of Twitter, live rallies and press conferences.
It’s the content that is mystifying. To hold the House and increase their Senate majority, Republicans must do two things: get out their base and bring along the center. The president, with an unrivaled bully pulpit, has instituted policies that provide him a near-perfect message for those tasks. He can rally supporters by banging home his promises kept and warning that only their vote this fall will allow him to continue his mission. And he can court the undecided with constant reminders of their new prosperity and freedom, and a vow that this is only the beginning.
The president is certainly focused on his base, though with an eye to whipping them up with rallies focused primarily on the polarizing issues of trade and immigration. His tweets revolve around the same issues—those and Mr. Mueller—and are often defensive or whiny.
This House midterm will hinge on marginal districts—suburban or exurban areas where Hillary Clinton outpolled Mr. Trump or came close. Those races in turn will hinge on centrist voters. If Mr. Trump makes those centrists believe this election is about family separation, Republicans lose. If he refocuses it on voters’ newly thriving prospects, Republicans have a shot.
That aforementioned list of accomplishments is only from the past few weeks. One remarkable aspect of the Trump administration is its productivity. The cabinet set a pace of reform in its openings weeks that has never lagged. If Mr. Trump isn’t going to spend every day embracing, elevating and making this product of his own presidency the dominant discussion, then no one will. The press isn’t going to do it. Democrats sure aren’t. And no other Republican has that megaphone.
Some will doubt whether Mr. Trump’s unconventional style even allows him to deliver such a message. But meditating in his farewell address on his nickname, the Great Communicator, Ronald Reagan said: “I never thought it was my style or the words I used that made a difference: It was the content.” The content—the results—of this administration is right there, waiting for the president to communicate.
Jim Acosta has the sadz. The untalented little man who rudely shouts unimportant questions at important people while in the employ of the ninth most trusted name in news out of ten, got heckled at a Trump rally in Tampa, Florida. Sad panda. The hecklers chanted "CNN sucks," which, okay, is true, but they were none too polite about it.
Acosta didn't like it. He reported, "Honestly, it felt like we weren’t in America anymore."
But, like virtually everything Acosta reports, this is just a reflection of his small-minded biases. The fact is, having a group of people scream at you and denigrate you is exactly what it feels like to be in America — if you don't happen to be a coastal elite. It has felt this way for the last twenty years at least. Every television show you watch, every movie, every woman's magazine, every comedian, and, yes, every news program tells you you suck. Your country sucks. Your culture sucks. Your religion and your morals suck. And you personally are one of those dumb-ass racists who clings to his Bible and talks funny.
If you believe your country should vet its immigrants, you're racist. If you voted for Donald Trump, you're racist. If you make a joke about Barack Obama on Facebook, you're racist twice. If you think motherhood is a woman's highest calling, you're sexist. If you take it ill when Islamists blow you up in the name of their nasty little god, you're Islamophobic. If you know that a man is a man even if he says he's a woman, you're transphobic. If you think it's fair to debate whether homosexual actions are moral or not, you're homophobic.
Every day. From every outlet. All the time. And now people are angry. Wonder why.
New York Timespublisher A.G. Sulzberger says he told Trump his anti-press rhetoric could lead to violence. But the media's anti-Trump rhetoric already hasled to violence: public officials rat-packed and bullied, Trump supporters harassed, White House spokes-lady Sarah Sanders having to live under guard. And yet when Sanders pointed this out to Look-At-Me-I'm-Jim Acosta, Acosta stormed out of the room. Hell, if he doesn't want to hear the truth, he could just stay home and watch CNN.
What's also appalling is that reporters answered Sanders by reminding her of the tragic shooting of journalists in Maryland. But that had nothing to do with Trump. It was the personal grudge of a madman. Even when these knuckleheads are protesting being called Fake News, they are purveying Fake News. Remarkable.
But most remarkable is this: the media seems to take no responsibility for the anger in the country. Not once — not one time — have I seen a reporter come onscreen and say, "Hey, you know what, maybe we are biased. Maybe we haven't listened. Maybe we have been arrogant and insulting. Maybe we do bear some responsibility for the anger against us."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 5) The Senate’s Unprecedented Obstruction
Obama’s nominees faced only 17 cloture votes in his first term. Trump’s have faced 108 in 18 months.
By David B. Rivkin Jr. and
John Shu
Yet they’ve managed to subject many of President Trump’s nominations to lengthy delays anyhow. It took the Senate almost seven months to confirm Ric Grenell as Ambassador to Germany. Jeff Clark, whom Mr. Trump nominated more than a year ago to head the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, still awaits his confirmation vote. Likewise Eric Dreiband, Mr. Trump’s pick for the Civil Rights Division. The Senate finished their hearings last year, and no member has raised a question about their qualifications.
On average it has taken the Senate three months to confirm Mr. Trump’s executive-branch nominees. President Obama’s nominees needed about 2½ months on average and President George W. Bush’s needed about 1½ months—even though the filibuster was in place for all of Mr. Bush’s eight years and more than five of Mr. Obama’s. In many instances Democrat obstructionism today ensures that Obama administration holdovers occupy key executive-branch positions 20 months after the 2016 presidential election.
So how have the Democrats done it without the filibuster? By weaponizing a pair of Senate rules. Rule 22, which covers “cloture,” allows for eight separate time-consuming steps. Rule 6, on “roll-call votes,” can require each individual senator to verbalize “yea” or “nay,” instead of a simple group voice vote.
“Cloture” is a venerable Senate procedure, dating to the early 20th century, which was created not as a dilatory tactic but the opposite—a way of ending filibusters and forcing a matter to a floor vote. The Senate first invoked cloture on Nov. 15, 1919, to end a filibuster of the Treaty of Versailles. From 1919 until 1963, the Senate invoked cloture five times, or about once every nine years, and never to delay a confirmation vote.
Mr. Reid’s 2013 move reduced the threshold for invoking cloture on nominations from three-fifths of all seated senators (60 when the chamber has no vacancies) to a simple majority. That means a minority can no longer “win” a cloture vote and prevent the majority from confirming the appointment.
But a tiny minority can still demand a cloture vote as a way of slowing things down. Only 16 signatures on a cloture petition are needed to complete the first step. Then the process is grindingly slow: The Senate clerk reads the petition; an “intervening day” must occur for the cloture petition to “ripen” or “mature”; a live quorum call has to take place; the majority leader presents the cloture petition; the actual cloture vote occurs; up to 30 hours of “post-cloture debate” ensues; then, finally, the actual confirmation vote arrives.
The numbers tell the story: The Senate held only one cloture vote on any nominee (executive or judicial) during George H.W. Bush’s entire presidency, 10 during Bill Clinton’s first term, four during George W. Bush’s first term, and 17 during Barack Obama’s first term. Mr. Trump has been in office a little more than 18 months, and there have been 108 cloture votes on his nominees.
These delays are usually not about substantive objections. Often Democratic senators eventually vote for confirmation. Their purpose manifestly is to snarl the Senate calendar and severely limit the number of confirmation votes.
Roll-call votes exacerbate cloture delays because they take a long time to organize and conduct. By contrast, a voice vote, once scheduled, takes virtually no time at all. And it takes only 11 senators to demand a roll-call. Again, the numbers illuminate the trend: the Senate held 21 nomination roll-call votes during George H.W. Bush’s presidency, 13 during Mr. Clinton’s first term, 60 during George W. Bush’s first term, 46 during Mr. Obama’s first term—and 119 since Mr. Trump took office.
The Senate has traditionally operated under the principle that the president is entitled to nominate people who reflect his philosophies and policies, especially within the executive branch. Cloture, roll-call votes, and other Senate procedures were not designed to stop confirmations. The current practice is a misuse.
Majority Leader McConnell announced that he will shorten, if not cancel, this year’s August recess. When he did so last year, the Senate confirmed 77 nominations with no unnecessary floor debate. He also should consider having the senators work full weeks, and some nights and weekends.
More fundamentally, Mr. McConnell and Rules Committee Chairman Roy Blunt should put a stop to these abuses. The Senate should promptly amend its rules to ensure that its procedural rules, in particular Rules 22 and 6, may not be used to delay a president’s nominations unless the majority leader, the minority leader, and both parties’ top members of the applicable committee all agree to do so. This would ensure fairness to presidents and senators regardless of party.
Messrs. Rivkin and Shu practice appellate and constitutional law in Washington and Newport Beach, Calif., respectively. Mr. Rivkin served Presidents Reagan and George H.W. Bush in the White House Counsel’s Office and the Department of Justice; Mr. Shu served Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush.
