Chuck Schumer: “Now, it is no exaggeration to say Jeffrey Sutton is one of the architects of the rightwing revolution that is taking…”

“Now, it is no exaggeration to say Jeffrey Sutton is one of the architects of the rightwing revolution that is taking place in our Federal courts. In hearings before the Judiciary Committee, he claimed he was trying to build a Supreme Court practice and he cannot be condemned for the views espoused in his advocacy, because lawyers have to represent their clients. Generally, that is true. If Mr. Sutton were a public interest lawyer taking all cases that come to him, I would agree. If he were a junior associate taking the cases partners assigned to him, I would agree. If he had a diverse array of cases taking different ideological perspectives, I would agree. But the cases Mr. Sutton took reflect a clear agenda. He believed in what he was doing. In one interview, Mr. Sutton said: I love this Federalism stuff. It was obvious to me, at least, that at the hearing this was a personal agenda for him. He has taken positions far beyond what his clients' interests have demanded. His record, viewed as a whole, makes clear he has an agenda and his career has been devoted to advancing that agenda. Frankly, I do not believe someone with such strong against-the-grain ideological views will simply set them aside to become a fair and neutral judge. That is a pretty tough thing to do.”