Confirmation Hearing: Talleyrand for SoFE

[Senator Cris]

Abstain

[Unconditional Surrender Truman]

Abstain, for the reasons Senator Kent gave.

[Adam Griffin]

It's very disappointing to see so many abstentions during such an important vote for such an important role. It's not lost on me...being able to say "it wasn't me" should things go badly (I don't agree with the premise, but I imagine at least one or two people are thinking that), but disappointing nevertheless.

The way I see it, if the nomination succeeds and something bad were to happen, then everybody who voted to abstain actually voted to confirm the nominee all the same. If the nomination fails, then everybody who voted to abstain cast a ballot to reject the only interested applicant for the position with less than a month before the election.

It's a hard position for everybody to be in regardless of outcome, I understand. However, sitting on the fence is not a position we should be placing ourselves in right now. I ask that the Senate rise to the occasion on this one.

[DKrol]

Nay

[Ebowed]

Chase out the only interested candidate, I see.  The last time the Senate balked at a qualified nominee, there was a three month Supreme Court vacancy.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

I'll be honest, I have no idea the rules behind votes like this, ie whether someone is confirmed is most vote abstain, but I'll be confirming Talleyrand because the line of potential candidates is slim, and more senators than not want to confirm him.

If people really felt strongly enough to keep him out of office, they'd have voted nay.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

AYE ftr

I agree with the reasons that JoMCar stated more so then Kent on this one. I understand the concerns regarding Talleyrand, and I would be the first to say that I got burned badly by him. The problem is he never changes his style and even here, save for the last post, he was treading ground throughout this entire process as opposed to acknowledging or conceding his actions have been negative. This is the same approach he took in trying to appeal to Federalists back in October where he just keep digging himself a hole until finally making a post where he just enough to make his case.

That said, he has served as Deputy SoFE many times and he understands election laws. With homely gone, and I think we would all prefer to still have homely, but in his absence, I think Talley would be the most qualified successor.

[Associate Justice PiT]

I'll be honest, I have no idea the rules behind votes like this, ie whether someone is confirmed is most vote abstain, but I'll be confirming Talleyrand because the line of potential candidates is slim, and more senators than not want to confirm him.

If people really felt strongly enough to keep him out of office, they'd have voted nay.

     Indeed, I don't feel strongly about this. I would rather we have someone else, but I do recognize that people qualified to hold the post of SoFE are few and far between here. Given the stipulations set forth by the President, his confirmation is acceptable to me.