Patrick Leahy: “I support this nomination. I only wish President Clinton's nominees, many of whom had a long record of accomplishment…”

“I support this nomination. I only wish President Clinton's nominees, many of whom had a long record of accomplishment, had received the treatment we are according this nominee. Instead, highly qualified nominees, such as Elena Kagan, now Dean of the Harvard Law School, and Allen Snyder, who served as a clerk to Justice Rehnquist and was an experienced and respected litigator, were left without consideration for years. No questions were raised about their qualifications, as there have been for so many of President Bush's nominations. The fact is that during President Clinton's last two years, Senate Republicans refused to consider more than half of his appellate court nominees. They were just blocked, pocket filibustered with impunity.”