Confirmation Hearing: Keystone Phil (Vice President)

[minionofmidas]

I urge the senate to not play games and confirm this well qualified nominee quickly.

I'll be honest and say that I have no idea how I'll apply the OSPR because I don't know what it is.

Case closed, I suppose.

Not having knowledge about the meaning of an acronym doesn't really mean that much, other than perhaps the fact that he has been away from fantasy politics for a while, which can only be a good thing.

People tend to confuse competence with knowledge a lot.  Knowledge can be easily gained.  Competence, not so much.

The name is two years old...

[afleitch]

I urge the senate to not play games and confirm this well qualified nominee quickly.

I'll be honest and say that I have no idea how I'll apply the OSPR because I don't know what it is.

Case closed, I suppose.

Not having knowledge about the meaning of an acronym doesn't really mean that much, other than perhaps the fact that he has been away from fantasy politics for a while, which can only be a good thing.

People tend to confuse competence with knowledge a lot.  Knowledge can be easily gained.  Competence, not so much.

The name is two years old...

When I served as Vice President I was not particularly aware of it. I'm sure there are other former VP's (as well as many former Senators) who would also, privately admit to not having a knowledge of it.

[minionofmidas]

I urge the senate to not play games and confirm this well qualified nominee quickly.

I'll be honest and say that I have no idea how I'll apply the OSPR because I don't know what it is.

Case closed, I suppose.

Not having knowledge about the meaning of an acronym doesn't really mean that much, other than perhaps the fact that he has been away from fantasy politics for a while, which can only be a good thing.

People tend to confuse competence with knowledge a lot.  Knowledge can be easily gained.  Competence, not so much.

The name is two years old...

When I served as Vice President I was not particularly aware of it. I'm sure there are other former VP's (as well as many former Senators) who would also, privately admit to not having a knowledge of it.

A knowledge of all its fine print?
Yeah. I don't think anybody's demanding that.

An awareness of its existence, and a knowledge of where to find it, and what it, roughly, is about, though... (oh, and the common sense, when seeing a question like that, of finding out what it is first and talking later)... that should really be expected. At least when calling someone "well qualified".
Basically, answering Gabu, Phil's reply there seems to imply (but not prove) that he's lacking the competence needed to aquire the knowledge.

Sorry everybody, I'll butt out of here in a moment.

[afleitch]

An awareness of its existence, and a knowledge of where to find it, and what it, roughly, is about, though... (oh, and the common sense, when seeing a question like that, of finding out what it is first and talking later)... that should really be expected.

But thats exactly what I mean; I didn't know of it, and I'm sure a round robin of many former Senators would also cause some blank faces But it's there to be found and understood as one readies themselves with the Constitution and Senate rules

Perhaps I should have been asked such questions during my nomination but there you go....

If this is a new trend I hope it is asked of all future nominees and during Senate races.

[Joe Republic]

When MasterJedi became PPT, he hadn't even read the OSPR.  He went on to serve admirably in that position for nine months.

[afleitch]

When MasterJedi became PPT, he hadn't even read the OSPR.  He went on to serve admirably in that position for nine months.

Good point.

[Keystone Phil]

If you were a member of the Senate, would you seek the position of President Pro Tempore?  If not, who of the current Senate do you think would best perform in the role?

I would not seek the position of PPT. I think PBrunsel would make an excellent PPT as would Jas.

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A perfect example of why someone should be removed - holding up a vote on a Presidential nomination when it is clearly against Senate procedure.

When MasterJedi became PPT, he hadn't even read the OSPR.  He went on to serve admirably in that position for nine months.

Good point.

Listen, we should all know why the PPT is acting this way. There is no use arguing about whether or not I should be well versed in the OSPR because, in the opinion of the PPT, I should be required to know it word for word, repeat it backwards, etc. He wants to give me a hard time and frankly, I don't care one bit.

[Ebowed]

A perfect example of why someone should be removed - holding up a vote on a Presidential nomination when it is clearly against Senate procedure.

Under what circumstances would such a removal be appropriate (i.e., a few scenarios would be, holding up the vote because the PPT did not know the rules, holding up the vote because the PPT wanted to demonstrate something, holding up the vote because the PPT was bored, etc.)?  Also, would you provide the same scrutiny to the overlooked problem of PPTs who open votes on Senate nominees too quickly, in clear violation of the Senate rules?  Which rules are you referring to in that statement?

There is no use arguing about whether or not I should be well versed in the OSPR because, in the opinion of the PPT, I should be required to know it word for word, repeat it backwards, etc.

That is not my view, although I would prefer you to be well versed and competent in applying the OSPR, which is why I am giving you some of these hypothetical questions.

[afleitch]

That is not my view, although I would prefer you to be well versed and competent in applying the OSPR, which is why I am giving you some of these hypothetical questions.

I think they can now be rested Mr Senator inlight of my own confession of a lack of knowledge as VP and the case of Former Senator MasterJedi who acted as PPT for many months under similar circumstances. Pinning down the nominee on the OSPR and then basing ability, knowledge or comptence on that fact, when there are other avenues of questioning that could be followed in these final 12 hours is unhelpful to the hearing

[Keystone Phil]

A perfect example of why someone should be removed - holding up a vote on a Presidential nomination when it is clearly against Senate procedure.

Under what circumstances would such a removal be appropriate (i.e., a few scenarios would be, holding up the vote because the PPT did not know the rules, holding up the vote because the PPT wanted to demonstrate something, holding up the vote because the PPT was bored, etc.)?

I think that purposely holding up the vote for personal reasons is an appropriate reason to remove the PPT.

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Opening a vote quickly isn't necessarily a problem if members don't object. Members objected to your dragging out the confirmation hearings when enough time had passed and voting was in order.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

When MasterJedi became PPT, he hadn't even read the OSPR.  He went on to serve admirably in that position for nine months.

My memory informs me that he only served admirably for the first few months or so of that nine.

[Ebowed]

Opening a vote quickly isn't necessarily a problem if members don't object.

Even when in clear and direct violation of the rules?

[Keystone Phil]

Opening a vote quickly isn't necessarily a problem if members don't object.

Even when in clear and direct violation of the rules?

Sometimes the Senate may find itself in a serious situation in which a confirmation must be approved as soon as possible or legislation must be enacted quicker than usual. If just one member objects then I'd refuse to open a vote early but some desperate times call for quick action. Your situation doesn't compare.

[Keystone Phil]

If I may ask, does the PPT have any idea when voting will begin on my confirmation?

[Ebowed]

Sometimes the Senate may find itself in a serious situation

Well, that fall-back excuse can be used to justify anything.

Your situation doesn't compare.

It is not my intention to bring personal politics into this discussion- I do hope that it is not your motive in seeking this office to self-fulfill your previous threats about my being removed from the position of PPT.  That would be hypocritical, given your frequent complaints about abusing offices for political purposes.

If I may ask, does the PPT have any idea when voting will begin on my confirmation?

Unless two Senators request an injunction to extend debate for another 48 hours, voting will begin in approximately 4 hours and 10 minutes.

[Keystone Phil]

Sometimes the Senate may find itself in a serious situation

Well, that fall-back excuse can be used to justify anything.

If you insist on being stubborn and calling your personal distaste for a previous nominee "serious" then I guess so.

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You do bring personal politics into this, Senator, so don't try to fool anyone. I'm not wishing to become Vice President just so I can see you removed as PPT. Whether I become Vice President or someone else does, the effort will be made. As Vice President, I'd have no more power of the situation than I do now.

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Thank you.

[Ebowed]

I'm not wishing to become Vice President just so I can see you removed as PPT.

What else would you like to do as Vice President, then?  You previously only answered that you would like to make your opinions on matters known before the Senate.  Can't you do that now?

[Keystone Phil]

I'm not wishing to become Vice President just so I can see you removed as PPT.

What else would you like to do as Vice President, then?  You previously only answered that you would like to make your opinions on matters known before the Senate.  Can't you do that now?

Well, I'd obviously break ties and assume the Presidency if need be, Senator. You know there is not much else that a Vice President can do.

[Ebowed]

Well, if your main selling point is that you will break ties, perhaps you could explain some more about your ideology.  Are there any issues on which you consider yourself socially leftist or economically liberal?  If you and the President strongly disagreed on an issue, how would you vote on such a tie?

If you assumed the Presidency, what would you do differently from the current President?  How would you go about in engaging other nations in the United Nations and Global Treaty Organization?

[Keystone Phil]

Well, if your main selling point is that you will break ties, perhaps you could explain some more about your ideology.  Are there any issues on which you consider yourself socially leftist or economically liberal?  If you and the President strongly disagreed on an issue, how would you vote on such a tie?

There aren't any issues that I can think of which I am socially or economically leftist. If the President and I disagreed on an issue, I'd discuss the situation with him especially if the vote would put me in a serious moral dilemma. In the end, though, I am serving at the pleasure of this President and would vote accordingly.

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Well, I would certainly hold back on trying anything too radical seeing that I'd be in office for less than a month and feel that the people of Atlasia should decide where to take the country in the upcoming elections. If a pressing matter came up, however, I'd do whatever I felt was necessary to solve the problem but I can't really compare it to what this President has done. I can't say whether it would be different from what he'd do or not since he hasn't done all that much.

As for engaging our friends on the global stage, again, I wouldn't press for any major foreign policy stance in my time left in office.

[Ebowed]

Voting on the nominee is opened.

[Ebowed]

Nay.

I find several things about the nominee's testimony to be concerning.  He appears to know little about the OSPR and how to adapt it to hypothetical legislative questions, which may indicate a lack of ability to soundly judge senatorial proceedings even if he does eventually read the OSPR and attempt to understand it.  His application of the parts of the document which he seems to know about is troubingly inconsistent and yet strangely harsh: he appears to want to push a removal of the PPT for violating one rule, though he thinks that violating other rules is perfectly legitimate.

I also have concerns about the soundness of the nominee's motives in seeking the position, and not only because he wants to remove me as PPT.  He appears to be a large proponent of bringing his misguided version of "fun" back to the game -- indeed, this is why he pushed for Naso's nomination -- and the associated problems that go with this sort of mindset are likely present.  I have not been sufficiently convinced that the nominee will be an active President of the Senate, as similar concerns were frequently present when the nominee previously served as Vice President, including a period where the absence of a President Pro Tempore caused an entire roadblock to Senate activity, despite the Vice Presidency being filled by the nominee.

It would have been my hope that a nominee who knows more about what their office entails than explaining their otherwise ignored opinions of selected legislation of importance and the occasional breaking of a tie were put forward.

[Brandon H]

Aye

[The Man From G.O.P.]

Aye

[Rob]

Nay.