Sen. Miller Warns of Possible Pickering Payback

Yahoo ^ | 3/15/02

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Sen. Zell Miller of Georgia warned fellow Democrats on Friday they may pay a political price in the South for preventing a Mississippi judge from getting a seat on a federal appeals court.

"The political repercussions are too obvious to ignore," Miller said a day after the Democratic-led Senate Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) rejected President Bush (news - web sites)'s bid to elevate U.S. District Judge James Pickering of Mississippi to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (news - web sites).

On three party-line votes of 10-9, the panel refused to send Pickering to the full Senate for consideration, contending he cannot be trusted on civil rights. It brushed aside Bush's contention he has had a good record on this front.

Senate Republican Leader Trent Lott of Mississippi called the committee action "a slap" at his home state. And Miller, who has frequently broken ranks with Democrats on Capitol Hill, suggested on Friday the sting may be felt across the South.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, brushed off Miller's warning, saying, "I don't look at judicial nominations through a political prism."

Leahy said his job is to help determine if nominees are "qualified or not." In opposing Pickering, Leahy said during 12 years on the federal bench, the judge often put his own beliefs above the law.

Miller said he was "very disappointment" by the defeat of Pickering, calling him a "good and brave man," and warned of possible repercussions.

"This action may very well elect a Republican governor in Mississippi and it will certainly make it even more difficult for Democratic candidates to be successful in the South," Miller said in a statement.

Democratic Mississippi Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's term does not end until 2004. Members of Congress across the South are up for reelection this November.

[OldFriend]

Frist is running for Lott's position. Personally, I am not sure it's an improvement.

[ThomasPaine2000]

Plus, Judge Pickering said he is not withdrawing his name. There may be a strategy here brewing...

[desertcry]

I feel insulted, why should the democrats suffer only in the South? The people in the North, East, and West have brains too, I hope.

[desertcry]

Indeed!

[WKB]

Governor Musgrove was dead in the water long before this.

Right on futureguv. The dems can't even stand him!

[hangin' chad]

Zell, in your heart you know its right...just do it!...switch parties now...then you can go home to Young Harris, Ga. and not have to explain yourself to family and friends.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Any reason not to do the same to the Rats in the future?

[linn37]

The eastern liberals don't like the south.He could care less what Zell Miller says.To Leahy Southerners are all backward rubes.

[Alberta's Child]

Someone just mentioned that Pickering has NOT removed his name from consideration. It sounds to me like something is going on behind the scenes here.

[Redcloak]

Let's all stare at Zell and start the chant...

Jump... Jump... Jump... Jump... Jump... Jump... Jump...

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Think of the meaningless campaigns which are being started.

[WyCoKsRepublican]

This is a disappointing to conservatives, but was to be expected. The Democrats will stop at nothing to pollute our system of government and tarnish the name of good people. They are nothing short of "sleeze" and as for Leahy, a sorry individual, pathetic at best, very desparate to cloud issues.

[Malcolm]

Zell makes some quasi-conservative comments and some conservatives are duped yet again. Zell knows how to toss a couple of conservative logs on the liberal inferno and manipulate the bulk of the Georgia populace, mainly those who live outside of Metro Atlanta (south Georgia hayseeds and mountain hicks). BTW, those of you who mistakenly think ZM was a good governor, what exactly did he do that a GOP governor would not have done even better??? I even saw a comment by Georgia conservative on another thread that admitted that he have voted for "conservative" Democrats here. (Gawd!!! another victim of public education). That's why Georgia, a conservative state, remains a Dem cesspool 20+ years after Reagan and the Republicans demonstrated to us exactly what the problem is (Dems) and what the solution is (GOP). But here in the Peach state, where people vote Democrat despite the negative results it brings, they have not yet grasped the obvious. I have no sympathy for any Southerner who votes Dem, even less for those who vote 3rd party. I don't care how conservative a Dem is! When that Dem gets into office, he aids and abets the liberal Dem machine; if you don't believe me, ask Judge Pickering.

Note to Georgia conservatives: next time you're in the voting booth, if you can read, vote for every Republican you see on your ballot. Don't try to figure it out, and don't think about the Civil War. If you're uncertain about it, it's over your head; just vote for every Republican. That's the solution, not the "beauty contest" method you've used up until now. (Sheesh!!!)

[a_witness]

• Stop all proceedings in the Judiciary Committee
• Issue recess appointments for all judges until further notice.

[Howlin]

If this wasn't such an unbelievable statement coming from a liberal, it would almost be funny.

And he said it while he was sitting beside Ted Kennedy!

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

What good does that do?

[Howlin]

This means we must begin winning over voters in the mushy middle and winning over fringe party voters on the right. I did not see a single Libertarian Party, Constitution Party, Natural Law Party, or Taxpayer Party member vote for Judge Pickering today. I did see nine Republicans vote for him and ten Democrats vote against him.

Oh, move to the head of the class!

John, a GREAT quote for today!!!!

[timestax]

bump

[a_witness]

What good does that do?

Cuts to the chase. The Dems are not going to allow any conservative judges while they control the committee.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

How much longer will they control? What limit is there on your process v. gainig control (or at least trying) and putting them there permanently?