Republican Senate Hypocrisy On Filibustering Judicial Appointments

Joan McCarter at Daily Kos points out Republican hypocrisy in an article entitled Senate votes on cloture for Goodwin Liu nomination. Liu is a liberal law professor from Berkley. These are past statements from Republicans expressing their views on filibustering judicial nominees:

Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA): “I believe  [filibustering judicial nominees] is in violation of the Constitution”  (4/13/05).
Senator John Cornyn (TX): Judicial  filibusters are “offensive to our nation’s constitutional  design…. [S]eparation of powers principles strongly suggest that the Senate  may not—and especially not by mere Senate rule—enhance its own  power in such a manner without offending the Constitution” (2004).
Senator Mike Crapo (ID):  “[T]he Constitution requires the Senate to hold up-or-down votes on all  nominees” (5/25/05).
Senator Jim Demint (SC):  “[D]enials of simple votes on judicial nominees” are  “unconstitutional” (5/22/05).
Senator Lindsey Graham (SC): “I  think filibustering judges will destroy the judiciary over time. I think  it’s unconstitutional” (5/23/05).
Senator Orrin Hatch (UT):  Filibustering judicial nominees is “unfair, dangerous, partisan, and  unconstitutional” (1/12/05).
Senator Kay Bailey  Hutchison (TX): “[T]he Constitution envisions a 51-vote  majority for judgeships…. [Filibustering judges] amend[s] the  Constitution without going through the proper processes…. We have a  majority rule that is the tradition of the Senate with judges. It is the  constitutional requirement” (4/28/05).
Senator Johnny Isakson (GA):  “[T]he Constitution require[s] an up-or-down vote” on judicial  nominees. “I will vote to support a vote, up or down, on every nominee.  Understanding that, were I in the minority party and the issues reversed, I  would take exactly the same position because this document, our Constitution,  does not equivocate” (5/19/05).
Senator Jon Kyl (AZ): “The  President was elected fair and square. He has the right to submit judicial  nominees and it is the Senate’s obligation under the Constitution to act  on those nominees” (4/10/08).
Senator Jeff Sessions (AL): “[The  Constitution] says the Senate shall advise and consent on treaties by a  two-thirds vote, and simply ‘shall advise and consent’ on  nominations…. I think there is no doubt the Founders understood that to  mean … confirmation of a judicial nomination requires only a simple  majority vote” (7/27/03).
Senator Richard Shelby (AL): “Why not  allow the President to do his job of selecting judicial nominees and let us do  our job in confirming or denying them? Principles of fairness call for it and  the Constitution requires it” (11/12/03).
Senator John Thune (SD):  Filibustering judicial nominees “is contrary to our Constitution ….  It was the Founders’ intention that the Senate dispose of them with a simple majority vote” (4/21/05).

 Needless to say, they all voted to filibuster Liu's confirmation -- except, to his credit, Hatch (who has never filibustered a judicial appointment) -- he voted "Present."

Click for McCarter's follow-up article entitled Grassley: Nominee Liu Has "Communist" China Worldview.

And another Daily Kos article by Adam B, entitled Confirming Goodwin Liu.