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  <updated>2008-08-07T15:56:32-05:00</updated>
  <entry>
    <title>Right Still Trying to Pick A Fight Over Judges</title>
    <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/right-still-trying-pick-fight-over-judges" />
    <id>http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/right-still-trying-pick-fight-over-judges</id>
    <published>2006-09-14T13:05:22-05:00</published>
    <updated>2008-08-07T15:56:32-05:00</updated>
    <author>
      <name>Kyle</name>
    </author>
    <category term="Committee for Justice" />
    <category term="Judiciary" />
    <summary type="html"><![CDATA[<p>It is not very often that right-wing   interest groups write to Republican senators, urging them to push for the   confirmation of a handful of judges for crassly partisan reasons.   &nbsp;</p>
<p>Well, actually, that probably   happens all the time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But <em>it is</em> unusual when they then <A title="http://www.confirmthem.com/urging_action_on_boyle_myers_smith_and_haynes" href="http://www.confirmthem.com/urging_action_on_boyle_myers_smith_and_haynes">post   the letter</a> for the entire world to see, as the Committee for Justice   recently did </p>
<blockquote>
<p>With the   election less than eight weeks away, Thursday's vote is crucial. It is the last   opportunity to get nominees onto the floor in time for a pre-election   confirmation fight that would focus voters&rsquo; minds on the federal judiciary as   the canonical example of the difference between the two parties. This is the   time to remind voters that it is the Republicans that put constitutionalist   judges on the federal courts and the Democrats who are responsible for an   activist judiciary that protected online pornography, restricted the death   penalty, weakened private property rights, struck down the federal ban on   partial birth abortion, declared the Pledge of Allegiance to be   unconstitutional, and otherwise drove religion from the public square. Can the   constitutional protection of gay marriage be far behind if Democrats have their   way with the federal judiciary?</p>
<p>Many of you   ran and won in 2002 and 2004 because, in part, you promised to support the   President&rsquo;s judicial nominees and to end obstruction by the minority Democrats.   Maybe some of your colleagues who last ran in 2000 do not realize that things   have changed. Perhaps you should consider those candidates running in 2006 who   are not yet in your meetings but <strong>could use   the judges issue to their advantage, if only you will tee it up for   them</strong>.</p>
<p>Voting the   circuit court nominees out of committee on Thursday, thus setting the stage for   an up or down vote on the Senate floor, is truly a no-lose proposition. If   Democrats do little to obstruct a confirmation vote, Republicans senators can   claim credit for improving the judiciary. However, if Democrats filibuster or   otherwise stand in the way of a vote, it will be clear to the public which party   is the party of the obstruction and which party is trying to end judicial   activism. <strong>Do not worry about whether   Republicans have the votes to win the confirmation battle. The goal is to remind   the American people of what is at stake when they vote on November   7</strong>.</p>
<p>&hellip;</p>
<p>Since the   confirmation of Justice Alito in January, Republican senators have missed   various opportunities to keep the judges issue on voters&rsquo; minds. As a result,   Senate Democrats have barely had to lift a finger to accomplish their goal of   blocking the President&rsquo;s conservative nominees<strong>. Fortunately, it is not too late to make the   Democrats pay a price for their obstruction and to use the judges issue and   judge-related issues to Republicans&rsquo; advantage in the upcoming   election.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the   nominees in question is&nbsp;&nbsp;reportedly&nbsp;being <A title="http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15262835.htm" href="http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15262835.htm">opposed</a> by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Sen. Arlen Specter <A title="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212006,00.html" href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212006,00.html">admits</a> that others   are &ldquo;embroiled in a controversy&rdquo; and have &ldquo;problems.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;This includes opposition by major   police organizations and high-ranking career military&nbsp;leaders.&nbsp;   Presumably, CFJ is urging&nbsp;&nbsp;that &nbsp;senators &ldquo;not worry about whether Republicans   have the votes to win the confirmation battle&rdquo; because there is a very real   likelihood that they don&rsquo;t actually have the necessary votes.   &nbsp;</p>
<p>But never let it be said that the   Right will let facts or reality dissuade them from their desire to create bogus   battles for purely partisan gain. &nbsp;</p>
    ]]></summary>
    <content type="html"><![CDATA[<p>It is not very often that right-wing   interest groups write to Republican senators, urging them to push for the   confirmation of a handful of judges for crassly partisan reasons.   &nbsp;</p>
<p>Well, actually, that probably   happens all the time.&nbsp;</p>
<p>But <em>it is</em> unusual when they then <A title="http://www.confirmthem.com/urging_action_on_boyle_myers_smith_and_haynes" href="http://www.confirmthem.com/urging_action_on_boyle_myers_smith_and_haynes">post   the letter</a> for the entire world to see, as the Committee for Justice   recently did </p>
<blockquote>
<p>With the   election less than eight weeks away, Thursday's vote is crucial. It is the last   opportunity to get nominees onto the floor in time for a pre-election   confirmation fight that would focus voters&rsquo; minds on the federal judiciary as   the canonical example of the difference between the two parties. This is the   time to remind voters that it is the Republicans that put constitutionalist   judges on the federal courts and the Democrats who are responsible for an   activist judiciary that protected online pornography, restricted the death   penalty, weakened private property rights, struck down the federal ban on   partial birth abortion, declared the Pledge of Allegiance to be   unconstitutional, and otherwise drove religion from the public square. Can the   constitutional protection of gay marriage be far behind if Democrats have their   way with the federal judiciary?</p>
<p>Many of you   ran and won in 2002 and 2004 because, in part, you promised to support the   President&rsquo;s judicial nominees and to end obstruction by the minority Democrats.   Maybe some of your colleagues who last ran in 2000 do not realize that things   have changed. Perhaps you should consider those candidates running in 2006 who   are not yet in your meetings but <strong>could use   the judges issue to their advantage, if only you will tee it up for   them</strong>.</p>
<p>Voting the   circuit court nominees out of committee on Thursday, thus setting the stage for   an up or down vote on the Senate floor, is truly a no-lose proposition. If   Democrats do little to obstruct a confirmation vote, Republicans senators can   claim credit for improving the judiciary. However, if Democrats filibuster or   otherwise stand in the way of a vote, it will be clear to the public which party   is the party of the obstruction and which party is trying to end judicial   activism. <strong>Do not worry about whether   Republicans have the votes to win the confirmation battle. The goal is to remind   the American people of what is at stake when they vote on November   7</strong>.</p>
<p>&hellip;</p>
<p>Since the   confirmation of Justice Alito in January, Republican senators have missed   various opportunities to keep the judges issue on voters&rsquo; minds. As a result,   Senate Democrats have barely had to lift a finger to accomplish their goal of   blocking the President&rsquo;s conservative nominees<strong>. Fortunately, it is not too late to make the   Democrats pay a price for their obstruction and to use the judges issue and   judge-related issues to Republicans&rsquo; advantage in the upcoming   election.</strong></p>
</blockquote>
<p>One of the   nominees in question is&nbsp;&nbsp;reportedly&nbsp;being <A title="http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15262835.htm" href="http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/15262835.htm">opposed</a> by Republican Senator Lindsey Graham and Sen. Arlen Specter <A title="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212006,00.html" href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,212006,00.html">admits</a> that others   are &ldquo;embroiled in a controversy&rdquo; and have &ldquo;problems.&rdquo;&nbsp;&nbsp;This includes opposition by major   police organizations and high-ranking career military&nbsp;leaders.&nbsp;   Presumably, CFJ is urging&nbsp;&nbsp;that &nbsp;senators &ldquo;not worry about whether Republicans   have the votes to win the confirmation battle&rdquo; because there is a very real   likelihood that they don&rsquo;t actually have the necessary votes.   &nbsp;</p>
<p>But never let it be said that the   Right will let facts or reality dissuade them from their desire to create bogus   battles for purely partisan gain. &nbsp;</p>
    ]]></content>
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