Don Nickles: “just to give a little different flavor, I don't like the word ``ambush'' applied to Judge White. To clarify again a…”

“just to give a little different flavor, I don't like the word ``ambush'' applied to Judge White. To clarify again a couple of things that happened, the reason why this Senator voted against him--and I would guess the reason why the majority of Republicans voted against him--was because we received a letter from the National Sheriffs' Association that said: Vote against Judge White. They had good reasons expressed in that letter. In this principal case that we are talking about, three deputy sheriffs were murdered, and the wife of a sheriff was murdered, and Judge White was the sole judge saying: Let's retry it; let's have a new hearing. The Missouri law enforcement community was very opposed to that. In addition to that, several Chiefs of Police contacted us and suggested we vote no, and to review this dissent. We also heard from prosecutors about this case and other cases who said vote no on Judge White. The Missouri Fraternal Order of Police sent us a letter in support of Judge White, but they sent that letter after the vote. Why did we have the vote at that time? Our colleagues on the Democrat side were clamoring for a vote. Why did people vote for Judge White in committee and then vote against him on the floor? The letters of law enforcement did not come up until after he was approved by the Judiciary Committee. I will grant my colleague from Vermont that later there were other letters from law enforcement.…”