Judiciary Oath would ban Brownback's Action

Sen. Sam Brownback is blocking federal court nominee Janet T. Neff. Why? Has she committed an ethical violation? Has she been involved ina conflict of interest? Has she committed a crime? No! No! No! She merely attended a commitment ceremony for a lesbian couple. Brownback says he only "wants to assure himself that she did not preside over an illegal marriage ceremony." He claims that it speaks to her "judicial activism." Republicans have criticized Democrats for blocking nominees of Mr. Bush and now a Republican is doing so on very little more than a personal decision to attend the ceremony.

This is the type of block that the Committee for Justice judicial oath would eliminate, which is a bad idea because it would also disallow blocks for legitimate reasons. However, there are other ways to alleviate this problem. Brownback is grasping at straws in order to play to the religious conservatives. He stretches his own credibility by doing this and it is only occurring because it is an election year and he wants to run for President in 2008.

(hat tip: TheAgitator.com)

Blocking Haynes a Good Move

EdWhalen reports that “According to a very knowledgeable non-Senate source, the news is much worse for Fourth Circuit nominee William Haynes: Senator McCain is committed to stopping Haynes’s confirmation, and Senator Graham, as a favor to Senator McCain, will keep the nomination from being reported out of committee. If this news is accurate, it would appear that there is no hope for Haynes’s nomination.?

Paul at Power Line analyzes this in the following manner: “

As I have argued, Haynes, an outstanding public servant, is being made the scapegoat for questionable legal advice provided by the Justice Department with respect to the interrogation of detainees. Haynes used that advice to provide guidance to the military, as he should have. If Haynes had provided legal advice inconsistent with the position of the Justice Department, he would have demonstrated a lawlessness that might constitute grounds for blocking his confirmation.

If McCain wants to punish an administration official for playing a key role in the development of our policy on interrogating detainees, a better target would be Attorney General Gonzales. The “offending? legal advice was prepared for Gonzales who then was the president’s counsel. Unlike Haynes, Gonzales arguably was in a position to cause the Justice Department’s position to be rejected.

The Alito Hearings

Sens. Lindsey Graham and Dianne Feinstein were on FoxNews Sunday to discuss the hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. It was basically a one sided one issue interview. Feinstein controlled and abortion was discussed. It was not balanced. Sen. Graham did not get much time to respond, but on statements with which the FoxNews audience agree.

Sen. Graham’s Wit, Wisdom, and Leadership

 

Sen. Graham is one of our sharpest sneators. He seems the best interests of South Carolina and the country in mind with every action. I am specifically proud of the action he in being a part of the Group of 14. He also has a wonderful sense of humor and is thoughtful.

He stands up to the administration when his conscience tells him he must, like on the issue of torture. He has been honest with the country about Iraq and the chance we have of succeeding there. He asks tough and penetrating questions of officials in committee hearings.

The first stance he took that I liked was on trade. He went against the grain of the party and voted “no” on CAFTA. He made his ‘South Carolina pockets’ speech and said “If we are not here to fight for American jobs then I do not know what we are here for.” I appreciate him standing up for American jobs.

I know he will be a leader. Sen. McCain thinks he looks like an attractive vice presidential candidate. I tend to agree, but wish him to stay in the Senate, where he could do more good for the country at this particular time.

Proud to Have Sen. Graham Serving in Washington

When Senator Graham potential nominee for the Supreme Court I was proud as a Gilbert Peach. However, the pride soon faded into a realism that we would lose a great Senator to the nomination. Sure, the seat would have been filled by a capable individual but it just would not be the same because no one is like Sen. Graham, who is one in a million. He would make a good Justice, but he makes an even better Senator and enjoys the hand to hand combat of politics. He also likes finding solutions to America’s problems.

While proud that he may have received the nomination I am even more proud that he is a United States Senator. This pride comes from having watched him and understanding who this remarkable man is as an American. He loves his job as a Senator because as he said “I’m a kid in a candy store. You can play at every area of the government that intrigues you. They can’t deal you out of the game. And I’m loving my job,” he said to the Charlotte Observer in June 2005. I love this attitude, it absolutely shines. I wish there were more like him because than Washington would be a more pleasant place.