Harry Reid: “I rise to defend the Senate Judiciary Committee, not for what they did or didn't do yesterday but because I believe they…”

“I rise to defend the Senate Judiciary Committee, not for what they did or didn't do yesterday but because I believe they have a tremendously difficult job. I also wish to defend individually the members of the Judiciary Committee--the Democratic members specifically--on unfounded attacks against these men and women who voted their conscience on the nomination of a judge. This judge was being asked to be elevated to the second highest court we have. The only one above it is the Supreme Court. Reasonable people can disagree about whether this man deserved a promotion, given his record as a judge. I am terribly concerned, however, that some people, even some colleagues, are making this committee vote over one person into an unfortunately acrimonious fight. It is not the vote of people of goodwill on the confirmation of a judge but the voices of anger and disappointment that will hurt our institution. I hope we are not entering the era in which any disagreement is vilified and harsh, inappropriate rhetoric is employed to make points with the fringes. We have to have disagreements here. That is what this institution is all about. We have an aisle here that separates Democrats from Republicans. We have different philosophies about a lot of issues. The fact that there was a person who was not approved by a committee doesn't mean the institution is falling apart. It shows the strength of the institution. The American people should be glad we don't agree on everything.”