Republicans Once Again Employ Double Standard on Judicial Nominees

Statement of Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron

June 12, 2008, Washington, DC—"Today, in a display of naked partisanship, eight Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against Sixth Circuit nominee Helene White.  Their actions clearly demonstrate a desire to not only leverage the judiciary as an election-year issue, but also to pack the courts with like-minded ideologues. By applying a double standard in their assessment of nominees, Republicans turned White’s confirmation hearing into a witch hunt, despite giving repeated passes and deference to other nominees with acceptable conservative bona fides, including Sixth Circuit nominee Raymond Kethledge who was voted out of committee today by voice vote.

"Senate Republicans lob quite a few stones from their glass house, bemoaning the actions of Senate Democrats as politicizing the process when it is the Bush administration and its allies that treat judicial selection as a take-no-prisoners item on a political agenda. It is not Senate Democrats who have threatened to grind the nation’s business to a halt because they aren’t getting their way. It is not Senate Democrats who use the federal bench as red meat for their base. This partisan vote against Helene White is nothing more than sound and fury signifying an election year."