Whoever invented the adage, "Good things come to those who wait," has obviously never met one of President Bush's judicial nominees. Many of them have endured months even years of waiting for their hearings to be scheduled. If by some miracle the hearings do take place, few nominees escape the proceedings with their skin unflayed.
Those who are fortunate enough to survive the liberals' smear campaigns are forced to wait even longer for a full Senate vote. In an effort to avoid the partisan standoff, President Bush and GOP leaders agreed to a judicial truce, promising to nominate men and women whom the Democrats would not find controversial. It turns out there is no such person. Last week marked the one-year anniversary of Peter Keisler's nomination, a man who even liberals said has "excellent legal credentials." Yet Keisler continues to sit as liberals ponder his "commitment to advancing civil rights or the environmental... protections." However, it is not Keisler's, nor any judge's job, to advance a political agenda. They are simply asked to uphold the law.
Another nominee, Leslie Southwick, was said to be on the fast-track to confirmation until groups like People for the American Way leaned on Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to invent a controversy over Southwick's record. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is laying blame on the Senate for the historically low approval ratings of Congress. While she and her friends should look at the plank in their own eyes, the petty games played by the Senate Judiciary Committee are certainly not helping matters.
No comments:
Post a Comment