Free Republic

Democratic senators on Wednesday defended their decision to ask President Trump’s Catholic judicial nominees about their beliefs, saying it’s fair to ask whether they can separate their religious faiths from their jobs as judges. “It is never inappropriate for a member of this committee to ask whether a nominee for a lifetime position for the federal judiciary can rule fairly whatever their personal affiliations might be,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono, a Hawaii Democrat who’s frequently questioned nominees’ religious backgrounds. The issue came to the fore Wednesday as the Senate Judiciary Committee held a confirmation hearing on Peter Joseph Phipps, a...

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas said in a recent appearance that he does not think religious beliefs interfere with a judge’s job, and criticized attempts by Democrats to impose “religious tests” on judicial nominees. Thomas, in remarks last week that were first reported by The Daily Caller, was asked about the 2017 confirmation hearing of Amy Coney Barrett where Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., told the Catholic: “The dogma lives loudly within you and that’s a concern.” He was asked if religious convictions should be taken into consideration when lawmakers were considering a judicial pick. “I thought we got away from...

Sen. Jeff Flake announced Wednesday that he will not vote to advance any new judicial nominees through the Judiciary Committee, nor will he vote to confirm picks on the Senate floor, until he gets his way on unrelated legislation to prevent the firing of special counsel Robert Mueller. Mr. Flake made the announcement on the Senate floor minutes after his bid to pass the bill failed. His threat could block the committee from approving any more judges this year, since the GOP only holds a one-seat majority on the panel. It’s less catastrophic to approving judges on the Senate floor,...

Just watching the Senate, when the Senior Senator from New York stood to participate in the filabuster of Judicial nominee, Miguel Estrada. Schumer produced a large blue board, which contained a quote. The quote was attributed to the "Legal Times, April 2002"; yet the quote was presented in a way which made it seem as if the White House had spoken the words. I would like to know if any of the brilliant political minds here would be able to tell me where the quote came from. Who actually said these words: "President George W. Bush's Judicial nominees received some...