Posted on 02/19/2002 5:55:26 AM PST by Stand Watch Listen
Although the Left has pulled out all the stops in its attempt to defeat the nomination of Charles Pickering Sr. to the U.S. Court of Appeals, there are probably enough votes in the full Senate for him to win confirmation. But that won't make any difference if he can't make it out of the Judiciary Committee.
After a February 7 nomination hearing -- Judge Pickering's second -- it was apparent that most Democrat Senators on the Judiciary Committee are siding with liberal interest groups in opposing his nomination. And about a week ago, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle announced that he would oppose the nomination as well.
Pickering was confirmed as a U.S. District Judge in 1990 after the Senate approved his nomination by unanimous consent. The Judiciary Committee had unanimously voted to report out his nomination that year, with Senators Patrick Leahy, Ted Kennedy, Joseph Biden, and Herbert Kohl present for the vote.
Judge Pickering has received a majority "well-qualified" rating from the American Bar Association, which evaluates (among other things) "judicial temperament," and whose published guidelines define that as including a nominee's "compassion . . . freedom from bias, and commitment to equal justice under the law." In a letter to the President last March, Leahy and Schumer referred to ABA ratings as the "gold standard by which judicial candidates are judged."
None of that makes any difference to the left-wing groups who have Pickering in their cross-hairs. In an effort to rally their troops for the next Supreme Court nomination, they've mounted a smear campaign that portrays Pickering as backward on voting rights, race relations, and civil rights generally. In short, without actually uttering the word, the Left is branding him as a racist.
Never mind that Pickering testified against the Imperial Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan -- in 1967 Mississippi -- despite the risks involved. Never mind that he worked with the FBI against the Klan. Never mind that he's heavily involved in racial reconciliation efforts, and that he has been for years. Or that he has a record of following the law and precedent in his years on the bench. The truth is that in his public and private life, Pickering has a strong record on civil rights and race issues.
I've said all along that liberals are counting on people being scared off by accusations about civil rights, hoping that no one will look closely at their charges. Because when Judge Pickering's record is examined in its entirety -- and not in carefully edited bits and pieces -- it becomes clear that there is absolutely nothing to their case.
When the Legal Times, the Washington D.C. legal newspaper, took a close look at Judge Pickering's record, it concluded that you won't get the full story on Pickering from liberals' portrayals of his life and record, and that (to put it mildly) there is an "alternate view" to the issue.
When the Washington Post addressed the nomination on Sunday, the liberal editorial page concluded that the Left's unfair portrayal of Judge Pickering degrades the confirmation process.
And when the liberal New York Times looked at the support for Pickering back home in Mississippi, it found that while the NAACP leadership is demanding that Pickering not be confirmed, many blacks who know Pickering and his reputation firsthand support his nomination.
What this battle really comes down to is the vote in the Judiciary Committee, which could happen at any time. There are 10 Democrats and 9 Republicans on the Judiciary Committee. Judge Pickering needs one Democrat vote for his nomination to get out of the committee.
Some have suggested that Senator Kohl of Wisconsin might still have an open mind; others have mentioned (almost unbelievably) Senator Feinstein of California.
This is the time for conservatives to act, to contact their Senators and let them know what they think. The Left knows the importance of this battle, and its people aren't hesitating to act. We can only hope that conservatives understand it too, and that they realize what that means they should do.
John Nowacki is deputy director of the Free Congress Foundation's Judicial Selection Monitoring Project.
Free Congress Foundation
Dismantling Democracy through Judicial Activism
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: February 12, 2002;
Author:Tom Jipping'A Troubling Pattern': Ideology Over Truth In Judicial Confirmations
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: February 10, 2002;
Author: Paul E. ScatesDemocrats Blast Bush Judicial Nominee
Source: CNSNEWS.com; Published: February 08, 2002;
Susan JonesThe Next Big Fight: The first major judicial-confirmation battle of the Bush administration.
Source: National Review: Published: Feburary 6, 2002;
Author:Byron YorkSYMPOSIUM Q: Should the Senate Take Ideology into Account in Judicial Confirmations
Source: INSIGHT magazine; Published: February 4, 2002;
Authors:
Ralph G. Neas -- YES: The ideology of nominees for the federal judiciary matters more now than ever
Roger Pilon -- NO: Since judges apply law, not make it, the Senate's concern should be with judicial temperamentWhat is the Judiciary Committee Trying to Hide?
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: January 29, 2002;
Author: Thomas L. JippingBlasting Conservative Judges: Liberals Launch Their Campaign
Source: cnsnews.com; Published: January 24 2002;
Matt PyeattJudicial Confirmation Lies, Deception and Cover-up
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: December 11, 2001
Author: Thomas L. JippingSenator Leahy Does Not Meet His Own Standards
Source:.cnsnews.com; Published: December 07, 2001
Author: By John NowackiSenator Daschle Must Remove 'Leaky Leahy' From Judiciary Committee
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: December 4, 2001
Author: Rev. Louis P. SheldonA Disgraceful Blocking of Nominees
Source: The Wall Street Journal (ltr to ed) Published December 3, 2001Mr. Leahy's Fuzzy Math
Source: Washington Times;Published: December 3, 2001
Author:EditorialSen. Patrick Leahy; Our Constitutional Conscience?
Source: Too Good Reports; Published: December 2, 2001
Author: Paul E. ScatesJudicial confirmations called significantly low
Source: Washington Times; Published: November 30, 2001
Author: Audrey HudsonPatrick Leahy - Words Do Kill
Source: PipeBombNews.com; Published: November 29, 2001
Author: William A. MayerJudicial Profiling
Source: The Wall Street Journal; Published: November 27, 2001Sen. Leahy's judicial hostages
Source: Washington Times; Published: November 21, 2001Judges Delayed is Justice Denied
Source: CNSNews.com ; Published: November 20, 2001;
Author: Thomas L. JippingPartisanship is Prevalent with Leahy's Judicial Confirmations
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: November 15, 2001
Author: John NowackiLeahy And Daschle Are Coming Face To Face With Their Own Words
Author: John NowackiObedient Democrats
Source: CNSNEWS.com; Published October 26, 2001
Author: Thomas L. JippingWhy is Daschle Blocking Judges needed to Try Terrorists when we Catch them?
Source: Banner of Liberty; Published:October 26, 2001
Author: Mary MostertPat Leahy's Passive Aggressive Game
Source: CNSNews.com; Published: October 25, 2001
Author: John NowackiOperation Obstruct Justice
Source: Washington Times; Published: October 25, 2001
Author: T.L.JippingDaschle wins struggle over judicial nominations
Source: The Washington Times; Published: Oct 24, 2001
Author: Dave BoyerLeahy doctrine ensures judicial gridlock
Source: Washington Times; Published October 22, 2001Senate's judicial powergrab: Tom Jipping tracks Dems' assault on courts
Source: WorldNetDaily.com; Published: June 28, 2001
Author: Tom Jipping
How extremely partisan does this group of ultra-liberal activists have to be to have their partner in crime, the Washington Post, denounce them?
Hopefully, if anyone's paying attention to this circus, their hypocrisy will degrade their own credibility as well. These liberal Senators, who are simply trying to hijack the judiciary, need to be publicly confronted with the fact that they all unanaimously supported Pickering in 1990. What's changed?
Truthfully, the answer to that is the notion of civility and propriety in Washington politics. All that has been thrown out the window thanks to Bill and Hillary Clinton. Now every issue is decided on not what's good for the people or the republic, but what's good for each politician's party. With every single issue, large or small, it now seems the gloves are off.
We MUST not give up on this.... Keep the pressure on YOUR Senators to bring this vote to the FLOOR for a vote by the FULL senate !!!
DO NOT allow Sen. Leheay and his fellow LIBERALS on the Judiciary Committee to prevent this vote from going to the floor!!!
Advise and consent means 100 Senators not 10 !!!
We MUST not give up on this.... Keep the pressure on YOUR Senators to bring this vote to the FLOOR for a vote by the FULL senate !!!
DO NOT allow Sen. Leheay and his fellow LIBERALS on the Judiciary Committee to prevent this vote from going to the floor!!!
Advise and consent means 100 Senators not 10 !!!
Sign PETITION to SUPPORT Judge Pickering...
CLICK here for "Mail Blaster" .. E-mail ALL U.S. Senators/Congressmen, and a variety of NEWS organizations in a single easy step..
Let them know that Judge Pickering deserves a vote of the FULL Senate UP or DOWN by ALL 100 Senators...!
Then PRINT the entire Petition and FAX it to YOUR 2 Senators !!
The BASE of the Democratic Party RELIES on the fact that CONSERVATIVES do not have the means to get their message out, and when we do they get VERY upset... I take it as a compliment, and so should YOU..
I have written to the Pettion webmaster to see if it is possible to have those entries deleted,, IF NOT I guess it just goes to show how SERIOUS of an issue this really is....(also I am forwarding a copy to the FBI to investigate and specific threats, such as the anthrax comment #726)
NO SENATOR even the most LEFTIST Senators would never approve of such horrible statements and characterizations.. they will seek to convince us that this is what they were trying to AVOID so that is why we should appoint "Moderate" Judges... DO NOT BE FOOLED.. it does however clearly show them WHO their BASE really is !! and their BASE is quickly beginning to see themselves in the mirror.
May God HELP America !!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.