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Judiciary Chairman Squashes Sour Grapes Politics on Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominees

 


 

 
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Jennifer Ellison
703-739-5920 
Shirley & Bannister Public Affairs

July 30, 2003  

Center Applauds Judiciary Chairman for Squashing Sour Grapes Politics on Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominees

Alexandria, Va— The Center for Individual Freedom today applauded Senate Judiciary Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) for holding a hearing on the confirmation of Henry Saad, a Michigan Court of Appeals judge who is one of President George W. Bush's nominees to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. 

Senate action on Saad's confirmation and that of three other nominees slated to fill the vacant seats on the Sixth Circuit has been blocked by Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow for well over a year.  Despite neither Senator stating any concerns about the nominees themselves, Levin and Stabenow continue to hold a grudge over the Senate's failure to confirm two of President Clinton's judicial nominees -- one of whom is Senator Levin's cousin-in-law. 

"This example of sour grapes being played by Levin and Stabenow continues to leave the people of Michigan without representation on their own federal appeals court," said Jeffrey Mazzella, the Center's Sr. Vice President of Legislative Affairs.   "Not to mention the negative impact it is having on the entire Sixth Circuit, which currently suffers from a 25 percent vacancy rate, the highest of any of the 12 federal appellate courts," Mazzella added.

Despite Chairman Hatch's willingness to rise above Levin and Stabenow's tactics, both Senators continue to oppose progress on the nominees.  That is, they claim, unless the President agrees to re-nominate Helen White and Kathleen McCree, the nominees denied confirmation under President Clinton, to the Sixth Circuit. 

"Levin and Stabenow's vendetta is nothing more than crude political blackmail and gross misuse of power," said Mazzella.  "It makes one wonder if they even bothered to read the constitution before they took the oath to support and defend it.  As if obstructionism against the President's judicial nominees weren't enough, Levin and Stabenow now want executive nominating power, too.

"Senators Levin and Stabenow should set aside their playground grudge and do what's in the best interest of their constituents. That is stop the obstructionism and follow Chairman Hatch's lead in moving forward towards up-or-down votes on the President's Sixth Circuit and other judicial nominees," Mazzella concluded.

The Center for Individual Freedom is a non-partisan constitutional advocacy group that fights to protect and defend individual freedoms and rights in the legal, legislative and educational arenas.

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[Posted July 30, 2003]