Bill Clinton: “the nomination of William H. Pryor, Jr., to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals is nothing more than a political…”

“the nomination of William H. Pryor, Jr., to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals is nothing more than a political promotion cloaked in the thin veil of a judicial nomination. Judge Pryor has been an active and dutiful soldier in the administration's systematic assault on the Constitution and individual rights, effectively making his nomination for a lifetime appointment to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals political payback for a job perceived well done. Given Judge Pryor's disdain for the Constitution and individual rights, I encourage my colleagues to join me in opposing Judge Pryor's nomination. If confirmed for a lifetime appointment to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Pryor would pose an enormous threat to the rights, protections, and freedoms of all Americans. Judge Pryor's professional record demonstrates a willingness to contort the law in order to make it fit his political agenda. During his 7-year tenure as attorney general of Alabama, Judge Pryor advanced his own personal, conservative agenda not only through litigation in which Alabama was a party, but also by filing amicus curiae briefs in cases in which Alabama was neither an interested party nor under any obligation to participate. As attorney general of Alabama, Judge Pryor amassed a stunning record replete with hostility for the rights of Americans and contempt for constitutionally mandated protections.…”