Senate confirms nonimee accused of racism, Lott's tears of joy, Feinstein says end fight over judges

[ProSense]

Senate Confirms Bush Nominee to Federal Appeals Court

James Rowley
16 minutes ago

Oct. 24 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. Senate, over the objections of most Democrats and civil rights groups, confirmed a Bush administration appeals court nominee who has been accused of insensitivity to racism.

The Senate voted 59-38 to approve President George W. Bush's nomination of Leslie Southwick, 57, of Mississippi to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after 12 Democrats voted with Republicans to shut off debate on the appointment. Republicans warned that blocking Southwick by use of a filibuster could subject judicial nominees of a future Democratic president to the same treatment.

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Three Democratic senators seeking their party's 2008 presidential nomination -- Hillary Clinton of New York, Barack Obama of Illinois and Joseph Biden of Delaware -- voted against ending the filibuster. Democrat Chris Dodd of Connecticut, also a presidential hopeful, didn't vote.

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Feinstein ``took a tough stand and she showed a lot of courage,'' Mississippi Republican Trent Lott told a news conference today, choking back tears.

Feinstein said today that fights over judges can hurt both parties, and ``It's got to end.''

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Editorial

Tilting the Scales of Justice

Every time we take a look at the United States attorney scandal, more evidence emerges that Alberto Gonzales politicized the Justice Department to the point where it sometimes seems like a branch of the Republican National Committee.

Yesterday, for example, Richard Thornburgh, a former Republican attorney general, told a Congressional hearing that his client, Dr. Cyril Wecht, a Democratic officeholder in Pennsylvania, was indicted on federal charges that should not be federal charges by a United States attorney who targeted Democrats.

more

Former AG Unsparing in Criticism of Bush DoJ

Roll Call (Southwick)

NAYs ---38
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Brown (D-OH)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Cardin (D-MD)
Carper (D-DE)
Casey (D-PA)
Clinton (D-NY)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Kerry (D-MA)
Klobuchar (D-MN)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
McCaskill (D-MO)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Rockefeller (D-WV)
Salazar (D-CO)
Sanders (I-VT)
Schumer (D-NY)
Stabenow (D-MI)
Tester (D-MT)
Webb (D-VA)
Whitehouse (D-RI)
Wyden (D-OR)


On edit, from Senator Reid:

“There is no reason why the President can’t find a nominee with a record of fairly representing all people. If we reject Judge Southwick, the president would still have an opportunity to nominate a more suitable candidate.

“Judge Southwick’s record has been fully documented by my colleagues who have spoken before me. His most grievous failure – a failure to give full weight to the vile meaning and history of the N-word – is deeply disturbing and cannot be overlooked.

“I urge all my colleagues to join me in voting no, so that we can find a candidate truly befitting this important and lifetime appointment, a candidate who will give the people of the Fifth Circuit the confidence they deserve that their claim to justice will be heard with the respect and equality that every American citizen deserves.”

Does anyone remember Roberts and Alito, when Republicans played politics with the Supreme Court?

[TwilightGardener]

1. Feinstein sez, "Fights over judges can hurt both parties...it's got to end."

Yes, Diane--no more fighting the Republicans. That way, Roe V. Wade will be overturned, civil rights will be rolled back, and our civil liberties will continue to be eroded with abandon. Good plan there, sweetheart.

[Robbien]

6. Feinstein spends all her time working for conservative causes

The only way a fight over judges hurts Democrats is that Feinstein is hiding behind a Democratic label and the fight hurts her close relationship with GOPers.

[TwilightGardener]

7. Makes you wonder why she's currying favor with the MINORITY. Does

she know something about our chances in '08 that we don't?

[Robbien]

10. She's not so much worried about Dem election chances

I believe she relies on the powerful coalition group of DLC/NewDems/GOPers who work together to make sure Progressive bills do not see the light of day in Congress.

[Xipe Totec]

2. Fight over judges has to end? When did it begin?

[Hell Hath No Fury]

3. Diane Feinstein just needs to GO.

Damn, I am sick to fucking DEATH of that woman "representing" me! God knows she hasn't won CA with my vote in the last two elections, but damn, I wish me fellow Californians would give her sorry ass the boot once and for all. :mad:

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Perhaps she was just following Robert Byrd's lead

[AlCzervik]

4. i saw her speaking on cspan yesterday, it was cringe inducing. She even thanked

the foppish never done an honest days work in his life Orrin Hatch.

[racaulk]

5. This line really stood out to me:

"Republicans warned that blocking Southwick by use of a filibuster could subject judicial nominees of a future Democratic president to the same treatment."

So, if the Dems chose not to filibuster this nomination, then the Repubs won't filibuster judicial nominees under a Dem president? If we play nice first, then they'll play nice?

And we're supposed to take them at their word and believe that? :mad:

[ProSense]

9. OP updated with Reid's statement urging Senators to vote no. n/t

[ProSense]

11. Dems voting yes:

Akaka (D-HI)
Byrd (D-WV)
Conrad (D-ND)
Dorgan (D-ND)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Johnson (D-SD)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Nelson (D-NE)
Pryor (D-AR)

Sigh!

[MBS]

12. glad to see JK voted NO

Not voting:
Boxer (I wonder why??)
Dodd (probably on campaign trail?)
Kennedy (has had surgery recently)

Dems and i's voting YES (BOO)
Akaka-HI (bizarre)
Byrd -WV
Conrad-ND
Dorgan-ND
Feinstein -CA (good grief)
Johnson-SD
Lieberman-CT (BOO: why doesn't he just change parties and get it over with:mad: )
Lincoln =AR
Nelson-NE
Pryor-AR

[spanone]

13. dear dianne, sorry, but it is your job to scrutinize these people on our behalf

[bigwillq]

14. Thanks for posting this.

I will admit that I was not aware of this. Thanks for brining it to my attention. Glad to see Biden, Clinton and Obama voted No. I wish Dodd was there to vote.

[Skidmore]

15. Kumbaya, m'lord, kumbaya..

Kumbaya, m'lord...

Everybody sing it...come on now. Join in. Hands together. Sing it out now.

Kumbaya....

Oh, lord, kumbaya...

Second verse...

[ProSense]

16. Vitter, Landrieu split on Southwick 5th Circuit vote

Vitter, Landrieu split on Southwick 5th Circuit vote

Louisiana's two U.S. senators split Wednesday on confirming Judge Leslie Southwick to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals with Republican David Vitter backing the judge and Democrat Mary Landrieu opposing his seating on the court.

Southwick was confirmed on a 59-38 vote following some Democrats' complaints that decisions he supported while a state appeals court judge in Mississippi were racially insensitive and inappropriate for the 5th Circuit's region, which includes Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi.

In a statement, Landrieu pointed to the history of the 5th Circuit in a number of historic civil rights decisions and said she was "not willing to quietly abandon this tradition." She said the 5th Circuit covered a huge number of blacks and people living in poverty _ two groups that critics said Southwick turned his back on.

"This is a federal court that must absolutely have its doors open to Americans of every race, color and economic circumstance," she said.

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[Mass]

17. Thanks for posting this. This is an important issue and the Democrats who voted YES

should be remembered, though most of them do not come as a surprise.

[Mass]

18. Sorry, three people that voted against Southwick are even more guilty.

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00392


They voted for cloture and against Southwick, allowing in fact Southwick to be confirmed without their votes.

Carper (D-DE)
Inouye (D-HI))
Salazar (D-CO)

who all voted FOR cloture and against Southwick,