Dianne Feinstein: “I too rise to discuss the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick and to explain why I will vote in favor of cloture and in…”

“I too rise to discuss the nomination of Judge Leslie Southwick and to explain why I will vote in favor of cloture and in favor of confirming him to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. There has seldom been an appellate nominee to whom I have given more thought than I have given to Judge Southwick. I am very much aware of the concerns many on my side of the aisle, in the House of Representatives, and in the community feel. I have reviewed Judge Southwick's record and the transcript of his confirmation hearing. I have read the many letters, both pro and con, and I have spent about an hour or more talking with him in person. What emerged for me was an understanding that Judge Southwick is a qualified, sensitive, and circumspect person. I think the personal qualities of an individual often get lost in our debates about judicial nominees. These nominees are not just a collection of prior writings or prior judicial opinions. They are, first and foremost, people; and the kind of person they are is, in fact, important. In my conversations with Judge Southwick, I have gotten a sense of the type of person that I believe him to be. He is not either insensitive or a racist but one who is thoughtful and analytical and a strong believer in the law. As an appellate court judge, he evaluates the specific legal issues of the case before him, not necessarily the veracity of the parties involved as would a trial judge.”