GOP rips lowering of nominee's ABA rating

The Washington Times ^ | May 9, 2006 | Charles Hurt

[ncountylee]

Republicans yesterday blamed bias for the American Bar Association's decision to downgrade a Bush judicial nominee's rating from "well-qualified" to "qualified," before a second hearing demanded by Democrats.

"It's telling that the only thing that lowered his rating was his service in the Bush White House," a Republican aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee said yesterday. "And the group that lowered it is more partisan than the ABA represents itself."

A 14-member ABA committee changed Brett M. Kavanaugh's rating last month in part because six members downgraded their rating from the last time the White House aide was reviewed, panel Chairman Steven Tober said.

Nonetheless, Mr. Tober wrote yesterday to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Mr. Kavanaugh is "indeed qualified to serve on the federal bench."

"This nominee enjoys a solid reputation for integrity, intellectual capacity and writing and analytical ability," Mr. Tober wrote. "The concern has been and remains focused on the breadth of his professional experience."

Mr. Tober said interviews conducted since the ABA's previous rating of Mr. Kavanaugh last year raised "additional concern over whether this nominee is so insulated that he will be unable to judge fairly in the future."

Republicans expressed little concern over the new rating, partly because Mr. Kavanaugh remains "qualified" and partly because they have long contended that the ABA has such a liberal bent.

[Shery]

The dims are at it again! We should stage a sit-in on the Senate building steps and demand a fair up or down vote on this guy who has been in limbo almost since Bush toook office. We ALL know their problem with him!

[johnboy]

everything is gamed.

[Howlin]

Republicans yesterday blamed bias for the American Bar Association's decision to downgrade a Bush judicial nominee's rating from "well-qualified" to "qualified," before a second hearing demanded by Democrats.

Wow, that sounds like collusion, doesn't it?

[bondjamesbond]

Bush should take this opportunity to once again ignore the ABA. They have no legitimate function in this process and should be ignored whenever possible.

If the ABA would take their traditional role seriously, they might be a useful voice in the process. But they are playing politics, and so have destroyed whatever value their input may have had.

[jmq]

I quit the ABA about 1984 when it appeared they were taking sides. Political partisanship was damaging to such a fine organization. It will take decades for it to return to its former neutral self.

[Brilliant]

The ABA is just another propaganda mouthpiece for the Democratic Party.