Political Quotes

“Madam President, I come to the floor again this morning to discuss several judicial nominations considered by the Senate this week. Earlier this week, the Senate voted to confirm Michael Truncale to the Eastern District of Texas and Kenneth Lee to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals seat in California, and today we will be voting on the nomination of Wendy Vitter to the Eastern District of Louisiana. The Senate is considering and confirming nominees whose records indicate they are far outside the mainstream. I have worked very hard over a number of years now--I guess we are in our eighth year--working with Senator Toomey, to fill district court vacancies in Pennsylvania with well-qualified and experienced judges whom I believe will be able to set aside their ideologies or personal beliefs and apply the law to the cases before them. But I do not have the same confidence in many of the nominees before this body today and especially the nominees we are considering. I will go in the order that I mentioned before--first, Michael Truncale, then Kenneth Lee, and Wendy Vitter. I believe that in all three cases, all are not mainstream conservatives. Their backgrounds and records are very political, and they have long records of advocating for certain positions on issues that may come before them as either a U.S. district court judge or an appellate judge. First of all, Mr.…”