Political Quotes

“today the Senate will consider yet another qualified nominee to be a DC Circuit Court of Appeals judge, considered by many to be the second highest court in all the land. It is troubling that Senate Republicans, for the fourth time this year, appear poised to reject an exceedingly capable nominee to this court for blatantly political reasons. Republicans have blocked three highly qualified female DC Circuit nominees in a row: Caitlin Halligan, Patricia Millett, and Nina Pillard. Today they are expected to block confirmation of District Judge Robert Wilkins, an extremely competent and experienced nominee and one who has bipartisan support. I say that because no one has questioned his qualifications or abilities; likewise, no Senator objected to the qualifications of Ms. Halligan, Ms. Millett or Ms. Pillard. Instead, Republicans have blocked these nominees solely to deny President Obama his constitutional right to appoint judges. In years passed, my Republican colleagues agreed to block judicial nominees only in ``extraordinary circumstances.'' These are their words, not mine. In 2005, the senior Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham defined extraordinary circumstances for the benefit of this body. Being a highly qualified trial lawyer, I think he is qualified to respond and set this definition that we all agreed with.…”