Making a recess appointment of a right-wing judge with a record of fighting civil rights causes is no surprise where George W. Bush is concerned. What surprises me (slightly) is the timing. Why 2 days before the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday? Nothing Bush does happens by accident, from a timing standpoint. This was done for a reason. Bush is a liar and hypocrite of the worst kind. How else do you explain appointing a racist to the US Court of Appeals ONE DAY after laying a wreath at Dr. King's gravesite?
Here's a good breakdown of Pickering's history in Mississippi:
http://www.patriotnews.com/artman/publish/article_59.shtmlAnd for more on one of the organizations that Pickering (and Trent Lott, for that matter) are affiliated with, check out this piece on the Council of Conservative Citizens:
http://www.adl.org/learn/Ext_US/CCCitizens.asp?xpicked=3&item=12Quite a step forward for our nation, don't you think? I'm sure Dr. King would be very proud...