Tom Daschle is leading the unprecedented effort to deny the full Senate a vote on not one, but two ABA-rated ‘well-qualified’ circuit court nominees...

CFIF Exposes Senator Tom Daschle's Hypocrisy on Judicial Nominations

Today, the two-year anniversary of President George W. Bush's initial nominations to the federal circuit courts of appeal, the Center for Individual Freedom ran an ad in The Washington Times labeling Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle a hypocrite for his party's ongoing obstructionism against the President's judicial nominees. 

“Tom Daschle is leading the unprecedented effort to deny the full Senate a vote on not one, but two ABA-rated ‘well-qualified’ circuit court nominees, Miguel Estrada and Priscilla Owen,” said Jeffrey Mazzella, the Center’s Sr. Vice President of Legislative Affairs.  “This marks the first time in our nation’s history that two judicial nominees have been simultaneously blocked by the minority party through the use of the filibuster, an obstructionist tactic Mr. Daschle once railed against.”

In 1999, Minority Leader Daschle made numerous statements on the Senate floor regarding judicial nominations, including:

"I find it simply baffling that a Senator would vote against even voting on a judicial nomination."
—Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle,Congressional Record, Oct. 5, 1999

"Hispanic or non-Hispanic, African American or non-African American, woman or man, it is wrong not to have a vote on the Senate floor."
—Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle,Congressional Record, Oct.28,1999

“Tom Daschle is a leader in the United States Senate,” said Mazzella.  “It’s about time he start acting like one!  To oppose a judicial nominee is one thing, but to deny all 100 Senators their advice and consent role in the process is unconscionable.  For Daschle, it’s blatantly hypocritical.” 

To download a copy of the Center's ad, click here.

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