Longtime Dem Donor Tied to Poor ABA Rating of Trump Nominee

Real Clear Politics ^ | 31 Oct, 2019 | Susan Crabtree

[MtnClimber]

Democratic senators are using derogatory statements from a Montana Justice Department official to justify their opposition to Lawrence VanDyke, President Trump’s nominee for the Ninth Circuit, without disclosing that the official has donated nearly $30,000 to Democrats running for federal office nor the background that he and VanDyke are longtime political foes.

Michael Black, who served as the chief of the Civil Services Bureau of the Montana Department of Justice when VanDyke (pictured) was the state solicitor general, has made no secret of his personal and professional disdain for VanDyke.

(snip)

Earlier this week, conservative judicial advocacy groups revealed that the American Bar Association didn’t disclose that its lead evaluator for VanDyke’s “not qualified rating,” Montana trial attorney Marcia Davenport, donated to Wheat when VanDyke was challenging him for the state Supreme Court seat.

[MtnClimber]

Not a surprise that democRATs bear false witness against conservatives.

[jmaroneps37]

They are loathsome swine aren’t they?

[facedown]

The once respectable ABA has become a joke.

[BenLurkin]

The ABA is a only Democrat Party front group.

[VTenigma]

Enough with this crap! Everyone knows whats going on yet nothing happens to stop it. There’s only one thing that ends this at this point. Gear up.

[ought-six]

“They are loathsome swine aren’t they?”

Quintessential bottom feeders.

[allblues]

Sorry, the comparison denigrates loathsome swine.

[Engedi]

What doesn’t the DEM PARTY control? They have the media, Unions, Educators at Universities, Colleges, School boards, CIA, FBI, DOJ, NSA, DHS, State Dept, Ambassadors, etc.

Hell they even control Ukraine now.

[Ann Archy]

Was this the CRYING Judge?? The one that CRIED over not being nice enough to HOMOSEXUALS?? OMG

[Political Junkie Too]

He's not weeping because some gays said mean things about him. He's weeping because one of the most respected organizations in his field is repeating partisan slanders against him after he spent a career building a reputation of fairness and excellence for himself.

I think it would jar anyone's resolve to be the target of a political opposition that is willing to say and do anything to win, including destroying the reputation of good people with unprovable slanders and libels just to get their way.

Corrupted or not, the ABA is there, it has influence over his career, and I'd bet they wouldn't have taken this stand if he weren't being appointed to the Ninth Circuit.

It's disheartening to witness one's life's work being trashed by the most influential body in one's career, knowing that it's not about him and that he's being used as a proxy for attacking President Trump.

-PJ

[Ann Archy]

I agree, HOWEVER, it was jarring to see the man cry over this.....how did he NOT KNOW the ABA is CORRUPT!! I KNOW IT!

[Political Junkie Too]

I'm sure he knows it, too, but what can he do about it?

It's a buzz saw the stands before the way of any nominee to higher courts. He can't avoid it, and he shouldn't decline the nomination because of it.

So he suffered a moment of reflection on the state of politicization of his career path, and will move on. Kavanaugh wept at his hearing, too, after the Democrats threw the rape charges at him at the last minute.

We're witnessing a new longer-term strategy of trying to say the most vile and hurtful things about accomplished people, and then using their moments of human weakness at hearing these things as the reason to disqualify them.

-PJ

[Ann Archy]

DEMOCRATS are VILE, EVIL VICIOUS, LYING DESTROYERS of GOOD people.