Herb Kohl: “When considering a nominee to a Federal court judgeship, we consider the nominee's legal skills, judgment, reputation…”

“When considering a nominee to a Federal court judgeship, we consider the nominee's legal skills, judgment, reputation, and acumen. The nominee should be learned in the law. And the nominee should be well regarded among his peers in his or her community. Perhaps most important of all is the nominee's judicial temperament. An appeals court judge's solemn duty and paramount obligation is to do justice fairly, impartially, and without favor. An appeals court judge must be open minded, must be willing to set his or her personal preferences aside, and must be able to judge without predisposition. And, of course, he or she must follow controlling precedent faithfully, and be able to disregard completely any views he or she holds to the contrary. In the case of Attorney General Pryor, we are presented with a nominee whose views are so extreme that he fails this basic test.”