Political Quotes

“He writes: Amid concerns that the judicial confirmation process is about to fall victim to presidential election year politics through the invocation of the ``Thurmond Rule,'' I am writing on behalf of the American Bar Association to reiterate our grave concern for the longstanding number of judicial vacancies on Article III courts and to urge you to schedule floor votes on three pending, noncontroversial circuit court nominees before July and on district court nominees who have strong bipartisan support on a weekly basis thereafter. He observes that ``the Senate has a continuing constitutional duty to act with due diligence to reduce the dangerously high vacancy rate that is adversely affecting our federal judiciary.'' There is no good reason that the Senate should not vote on consensus circuit court nominees thoroughly vetted, considered and voted on by the Judiciary Committee. There is no reason the Senate cannot vote on the nomination of William Kayatta of Maine to the First Circuit, a nominee strongly supported by both of Maine's Republican Senators and reported nearly unanimously by the Committee 2 months ago. This is the same person who Chief Justice John Roberts recommended to Kenneth Starr for a position in the Justice Department.…”