Orrin Hatch: “I do have to make a few remarks since my colleague from New York made some very cogent, very important remarks this…”

“I do have to make a few remarks since my colleague from New York made some very cogent, very important remarks this evening. I happen to have a lot of respect for my colleague from New York, and he has the guts to really stand up and say that one of the reasons he is voting against some of these judges is the question of ideology. I think he is dead wrong on that, but the fact is, I respect him for at least being upfront and stating what he believes. He has also said we need to have balance on the courts. I am not so sure that is a bad concept, but I believe whoever is President, we have to have that President's choice of judges. That is one thing we do when we elect a President. Unless you can find some really valid reason for voting against these judges, that I think has to be more than ideology--at least that is my view--then you should vote for those judges, which is a practice I have followed throughout the Clinton administration and throughout the Carter administration, as a matter of fact. I think it is the correct practice. I still respect my colleague for his beliefs, for his forthright statements. I want to correct the record on a few things. No. 1, with regard to balance, there is a lack of balance in many circuit courts of appeals today one way or the other. In the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, 17 of the 23 judges are Democrats; 14 were appointed by none other than President William Jefferson Clinton.”