Orrin Hatch: “I cannot let that go. If they are saying because he lacks judicial experience he should not be on the court--which is…”

“I cannot let that go. If they are saying because he lacks judicial experience he should not be on the court--which is what it appears to me they are saying--they are just condemning almost every nonjudge Hispanic to never have a chance to be a Federal district or circuit court of appeals judge. That is ridiculous. Every Democrat President I have served with--President Carter and President Clinton--have appointed a wide variety of people who never served on the bench but who are highly qualified and are doing a good job as judges now. It may be helpful to have some judicial experience, but not having judicial experience does not mean you cannot serve. If that were the case, some of the greatest judges in the history of the world would never have had a chance. But if you interpret what they say, that means that any Hispanic who has not had judicial experience really should not be supported. That is ridiculous. That is caving in to the liberal special interest groups in this town with which they continually spend time, and is to the detriment of the Hispanic community. I say that as a chairman of the Republican senatorial Hispanic task force who has worked for the last 13 years to try to solve these problems. I don't take second seat to anyone with regard to my love for the Hispanic community or my work on their behalf.”