Posted on 10/24/2007 10:18:16 AM PDT by SmithL
WASHINGTON, (AP) -- The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Judge Leslie Southwick to the federal appeals court in Mississippi despite complaints by some Democrats that decisions he supported were racially insensitive and inappropriate for a region still shadowed by civil rights struggles.
The 59-38 vote on confirmation was sealed after the nomination survived its main obstacle, a test tally moments earlier. Majority Democrats pressured by labor unions and other constituencies did not have the votes to filibuster, or block, Southwick's confirmation.
The Congressional Black Caucus warned that there would be consequences for Democrats at the ballot box.
"We regard this as a test," said District of Columbia Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton.
Supporters of Southwick's nomination said the vote should only have been about his qualifications, not the history of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which includes Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.
"If he was up for any other circuit, there would be no hesitancy," said Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, the ranking Republican on the Judiciary Committee.
The nomination tested a fragile agreement in the Senate to block President Bush's judicial nominations only in "extraordinary" circumstances. Some Democratic opponents said Southwick's writings, combined with the troubled racial history of the circuit, met this amorphous standard. But Democrats did not have the votes to sustain a filibuster.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Great news!
Thanks!
Nice. This is the first confirmation to the circuit court I’ve heard about since the new congress. The 5th was already a solidly conservative court. Have there been any others placed this year?
This was one of the most surprising votes of the year. Judge Southwick once removed custody from a mother of an 8-year old girl and gave custody to the father, because the woman had her lesbian lover move in with her. I am stunned that he was confirmed. All week the Black Caucus has been screaming about Southwick, and threatening any RATs who supported him, yet he won easily.
HOO-rah!!! ;)
This is very good news. Too bad Pickering was trashed. He’s a good man.
Absolutely! Good to hear he finally passed the Senate Democrats! Amusing to read Eleanor Holmes Norton's comments, too. I wonder if the ire of the Black Caucus will have any effect on Dems running for Congress in 2008.
Congratulations Judge Southwick.
Always good when the ‘Rat race card doesn’t work. Good to see the ‘Rats attacking one another. I wonder if the gay issue wasn’t the real reason they tried to derail the nomination.
I was shocked to hear Feinstein voted for his confirmation.
“The Congressional Black Caucus warned that there would be consequences for Democrats at the ballot box”
What a joke! Yeah right like blacks wont vote for racist liberal democrats anymore. Give us a break. Blacks vote for leftists 90%+. They could give a rats ass about family values, the constitution or American security. Its all about victim status, affirmative action and freebies. True conservatives are color blind and wont buy into their race baiting crap. Either your American or your not - Message to NAACP, JJ and Al - take your hyphenated titles to the dems only they care what the color of your skin is. Conservatives only care about character and merit - black, white, or rainbow.
I saw Barbara Lee (Marxist, Oakland) on CSPAN, absolutely furious at Feinstein.
I do enjoy knowing that the marxist CBC has no clue that their empty threats are routinely discarded.
But really...would it *kill* the MSM to bring up the above quote in November of next year?!
You know that the quote above will be sent down the memory hole, never to be uttered or repeated again.
Democratic majorities in both houses, and they’re still losing :)
I saw Judge Southwick the weekend after the committe vote. The first thing I said was "God bless Diane Feinstein." He smiled and told me, "We always thought she was our best shot at peeling off one vote. I think she just saw it as an issue of fairness."
What’s going to happen, they’re going to vote Republican next year? Ha ha.
Some good news on the judicial front.
Yeah, I heard about this. Great news. I wonder if we are going to get a few more confirmed - that would be great.
I’m still praying for a liberal SCOTUS vacancy. If we played it right I think Bush could force their hand as late as April or May (that’s optimistic). More likely February.
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