Orrin Hatch: “The Senator is again mistaken. He is absolutely wrong, totally inaccurate. The fact is the request was for his…”

“The Senator is again mistaken. He is absolutely wrong, totally inaccurate. The fact is the request was for his recommendation on his appeal recommendations, his certiorari recommendations, his amicus curiae recommendations. Those have never ever been given to anybody up here on Capitol Hill. And they shouldn't be given to anybody. Those are the most crucial recommendations the Solicitor General gets and relies upon. There are some cases where documents for appeal, certiorari, amicus curiae documents, were leaked to Democrat Senators in the past, and there were one or two cases where there were allegations of criminal behavior, or potential criminal behavior, where very selected documents were produced. But there has never, ever been a production of internal, privileged recommendations for appeals, certiorari, and amicus curiae. Again, the Senator is mistaken. I hesitate to point that out, but it is something that has to be pointed out. I believe with all my heart that my friends on the other side know that. So this is a phony issue they have raised. Here is a man who has the highest rating of the American Bar Association, given by a majority of Democrats who have supported financially other Democrats, and yet they found him worthy of the highest rating of the American Bar Association. I know my colleagues do not like that, even though many of them said he deserves it, he is that good, but we are going to vote against cloture anyway--because we are Democrats, I guess.”