Senate Democrats have vowed to block all judicial nominations, because they are upset that the President used his recess appointment powers. In an incredible episode of chutzpa, Tom Daschle claims he is defending the Constitution rather than defying it.

"This White House is insisting on a departure from historic and constitutional practices," Daschle said. "At no point has a president ever used a recess appointment to install a rejected nominee onto the federal bench, and there are intonations there will be even more recess appointments in the coming months.

"We will continue to cooperate in the confirmation of federal judges, but only if the White House gives us the assurance that they will no longer abuse the process, but it will once again respect our Constitution's essential system of checks and balances," Daschle said.

Shortly before his pants burst into flames, Senate Judiciary Stooge Chuckie Schumer parroted Daschle's lies:

"The president's use of recess appointments to circumvent the advise and consent process puts a finger in the eye of the Constitution ... Our caucus is strong, united, and firm in the belief that we are upholding the Constitution and preventing the president from packing the federal bench unilaterally with ideologues. We hope the president has learned that we will not yield; this is an issue of principle, not politics," Schumer said.

Of course, this is nothing more than political posturing. The Senate was given the Constitutional power of "advice and consent" on judicial nominations. The Daschle democrats disobeyed the Consitution by refusing to let the Senate vote on judicial nominations, most notably in the case of Miguel Estrada who dems claimed was "especially dangerous", because "he is Latino".

Daschle's claim that Bush is violating the system of checks and balances is a lie. The filibuster is a Senate procedure not a Constitutional power. The constitutionally mandated votes on the judicial nominations were blocked using this procedure. With the Democrats unwilling to let the Senate carry out their Consitutional job, Bush made recess appointments. This action is also supported by the Consitution, which states: The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

So what we have is a President who is performing a task that is clearly laid out in the U.S. Constitution, and a Senator who is using Senate procedures to prevent that from happening. The only justification he can muster for his actions is that he is defending the constitution by not letting "rejected nominees" get to the federal bench. Once more, the nominees haven't been rejected because they haven't even been voted upon.

I have to wonder if Tom Daschle has even read the Consitution; the document which he is sworn to uphold.