Posted on 10/22/2003 7:27:39 AM PDT by mhking
October 21, 2003 David Almasi
Chairman Orrin Hatch
Senate Judiciary Committee
#224 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Chairman Hatch:
Members of the African-American leadership network Project 21 are calling upon senators to give California Supreme Court Associate Justice Janice Rogers Brown fair and timely consideration as she faces the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, October 22.
Liberal special interest groups and politicians have stepped up their criticism of Brown as her hearing date nears. Liberal senators have already placed legislative holds on or are filibustering the confirmation votes of many other Bush judicial nominees in an attempt to keep them from being voted on by the full Senate. This has led to some nominees suffering in legislative limbo since May of 2001, and to Miguel Estrada withdrawing his nomination rather than prolong the attacks on his character.
Project 21 members demand that the Brown confirmation process be handled in a quick and timely manner, devoid of scare tactics and procedural skullduggery.
To follow are some quotes from individual Project 21 members about the Brown nomination:
"The Senate's job is to give its advise and consent, not to make the judiciary into its own political image. Justice Brown is more than qualified as a jurist. If some senators would actually embrace fairness rather than obstructionism and partisanship, then I believe Justice Brown should get the fair hearing she richly deserves."
- Jerry Brooks of Portland, Oregon
"There is nothing in Judge Brown's judicial history that should disqualify her from serving on the U.S. Court of Appeals. She has proven her ability to follow the letter of the law and refrained from social engineering from the bench, despite the pervasive activism of many of today's jurists. It is time for the NAACP to step to the plate for a change and support a qualified individual who happens to be a part of their purported constituency. It is also time for liberals to cease these sophomoric attempts of obstruction for their own political gain."
- Sean Turner of Atlanta, Georgia
"This is one of the clearest examples of liberal bigotry that can be identified. Jurists such as Supreme Court Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Miguel Estrada and Justice Janice Rogers are despised by liberals because they stand for truth, integrity, accountability and responsibility to both to the law and the greater community."
- Mychal Massie of Zion Hill, Pennsylvania
"Justice Janice Rogers Brown has shown a strong belief in a color-blind Constitution, respect for free speech and a high respect for the special abilities of legislators over judges. That these qualities are seen as troubling to many groups is a sign of how far the groups have moved from the American ideal. Her opinions are well written and extensively researched, and she has earned the respect of the legal community.
"Her legal reasoning and writing are in the mainstream of conservative thought, leavened with intelligence and a thorough understanding of history and the US constitution. She has been an independent judge, willing to overturn death penalty cases where she saw the law violated by the government, hardly the rigid doctrinaire that pressure groups attempt to portray.
"In addition to her professional life, her personal story is a compelling testament to hard work and overcoming obstacles. As she has achieved personnel and professional success, her life is an American success story. Janice Rogers Brown has earned a fair hearing for the high office she has been nominated to. It is up to the U.S. Senate to give her one."
- Theodore Essex of Alexandria, Virginia
Thank you for your time in this important matter.
Sincerely,
Director
If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)
Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.
Hearing is now LIVE on c-span.
Looks like my own Senator Dick Durbin is up next.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.