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. . . No surprise, then, that the two sides disagree about the significance of a sheaf of internal memos downloaded from the committee's unsecured computer server by snooping staffers and leaked to the media. These memos are now the root of an investigation of the leak by the Senate sergeant-at-arms, ethics complaints, a fair amount of hand-wringing and finger-pointing, and things said off the record that could not be printed in a family newspaper anyway. The memos, apparently written by aides to Sens. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), sketch the evolution between 2001 and early...

<p>WASHINGTON — Frustration is running high among critics angry that attention paid to a batch of Democratic memos — including one describing special interest influence in the confirmation process of President Bush's judicial nominees — has focused more on the leaks than the potentially explosive content of the documents.</p>

<p>The source of the memos is unclear. The sheer volume of the memos, however, suggests that the memos weren't simply misplaced by someone – they appear to have been intentionally leaked by a Democrat. Also, the memos, which begin in late 2001, cut off suddenly in April 2003. This suggests that they came from a former staffer, rather than someone who recently accessed Democrats' computers. Finally, the only information blacked out in the memos is staffers' names. Whoever leaked these memos did not care about the Senators, but apparently knew the staffers and cared enough to spare them embarrassment.</p>

The Patrick Henry Center for Individual Liberty For Immediate Release: Contact: Ashley Varner December 4, 2003 703-691-2301 avarnerphc@aol.com Aldrich Defends the Senate Judiciary Whistleblower Placed on Administrative Leave Fairfax, VA-Will the brave Judiciary whistleblower please come forward? There may be help available for you, if Gary Aldrich has anything to say about it. Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) placed a Republican Committee staffer on administrative leave, after the release of Democrat documents revealing discriminating strategies for blocking certain judicial nominees. Aldrich expressed his disappointment in the Senate leadership for buckling under Democrat demands to punish the...

Kennedy, Durbin accused of improperly intervening in the judicial nomination process.A conservative watchdog group has filed ethics charges against two senators over the release of Democratic memos that indicate possible improprieties in the way President Bush's nominees to the federal bench have been treated. Sens. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., and Richard Durbin, D-Ill., are accused by Judicial Watch of bringing the Senate into disrepute by improperly intervening in the judicial nomination process."Specifically, Senator Durbin opposed Miguel Estrada, a nominee of President Bush, we believe, because he was Latino, and that's evidenced by staff memos that have been uncovered," Judicial Watch President...

[Juan Non-Volokh, 3:25 PM]The Memos and Ms. Jones: The New York Times editorial board has finally discovered the Senate Judiciary Committee “collusion memos” detailing Democratic and liberal interest group opposition to Bush’s judicial nominees. Though, as one might expect, the Times is more concerned about the manner in which the memos were disclosed – they were allegedly pilfered by a Republican staffer (an act that, if illegal, would justify prosecution) – than their content. As a result, the Times missed the big story here. No, not the confirmation that Democrats opposed Miguel Estrada because he is a Hispanic. (One memo...

Black Network Files Complaint Against NAACP Attorney Unethical Influence in Shaping Constitutional Cases Charged For Release: December 4, 2003 Contact: David Almasi at 202/371-1400 x106 The African-American leadership network Project 21 is asking the Virginia State Bar to investigate NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc president and director-counsel Elaine R. Jones. "Obstructionism is the order of the day in the Senate," said Project 21 member Gregory Parker of New Braunfels, Texas. "Now we know that this judicial obstructionism is part of a carefully orchestrated plan by a few senators and left-wing special interest groups." The complaint, to be filed...

<p>Several conservative activists charge that an NAACP attorney acted unethically and should be disbarred for asking Sen. Edward M. Kennedy to stall the confirmation of a judicial nominee who the lawyer feared would rule unfavorably on a case involving the group.</p>

Fairfax, VA)-Will the brave Judiciary whistleblower please come forward? There may be help available for you, if Gary Aldrich has anything to say about it. Last week, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) placed a Republican Committee staffer on administrative leave, after the release of Democrat documents revealing discriminating strategies for blocking certain judicial nominees.Aldrich expressed his disappointment in the Senate leadership for buckling under Democrat demands to punish the Committee whistleblower. "Senator Hatch seems more outraged at his brave staff member than he is at the Democrat Senators who unethically stonewalled President Bush's judicial nominees.""I wish this brave...

A Republican staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee was placed on administrative leave last week in the wake of a U.S. Capitol Police investigation into the release of memos describing strategies for Democrats to use regarding judicial nominees. Committee Chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) told reporters he took the action because, "I am mortified that this improper, unethical and simply unacceptable breach of confidential files may have occurred on my watch." Democrats on the committee have expressed outrage over the memos' release to the Wall Street Journal in which their strategy to delay and defeat President Bush's judicial nominees when...

<p>A young man in Washington is in danger of losing his job because of something The Wall Street Journal's editorial page published, which prompts me to say, in his defense: He didn't do it.</p> <p>Before I continue the tale of the unfortunate nonleaker, let me say a word about the memos themselves. If you haven't been reading this page, chances are you haven't heard of them. They are the talk of Capitol Hill, but virtually every mainstream media outfit--the Washington Times being an exception--has declined to inform readers about what's in them.</p>

<p>Republicans say there is a double standard in the way the press has covered the story about internal Democratic memos that revealed the coziness between liberal interest groups and Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.</p> <p>While many newspaper and broadcast journalists have done stories about how the memos wound up in the Wall Street Journal and The Washington Times, few have covered the content of the memos.</p>

Once again, partisan politics has won out in Washington. Memos from and to many top democrats, detailing dishonest practices ranging from the blocking of judicial nominations, to the exploitation of sensitive intelligence information, have leaked like rain in the monsoon. As revealed in these memos, both the Senate Intelligence Committee and judicial confirmation process have been compromised to a great extent. The Democratic hierarchy has attempted to downplay the significance of the documents as nothing but advice from their constituency. The actions of the party, however, lead one to believe that rather than advice the party was receiving instructions from...

Computer Files Discussed Democrats' Strategy on Bush Judicial Nominations The Senate sergeant-at-arms has opened an investigation into Republicans obtaining and publicizing internal memos from the computer and network resources of two Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Late Tuesday, Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) confirmed that his inquiry had found that a member of his staff "had improperly accessed some of the documents" and a second former staff member "may also have been involved."

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on the Constitution took to the Senate floor Tuesday to criticize his Democrat colleagues over the content of leaked memos regarding President Bush's judicial nominees. Cornyn recalled an April 2003 letter that all 10 freshmen senators wrote to the leadership asking for a fresh start in the judicial nomination process. Cornyn warned, "Any tactic or strategy used by a partisan minority now to obstruct President Bush's nominees, if successful, if allowed to proceed, will no doubt be sought to be used in the event a...

Senate Republican Staffer Put on Leave Tue Nov 25, 7:53 PM ET By JIM ABRAMS, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Senate Judiciary Committee (news - web sites) Chairman Orrin Hatch said Tuesday he had put one of his staffers on administrative leave for improperly obtaining data from the secure computer networks of two Democratic senators. Hatch, R-Utah, said preliminary interviews suggested that a former Republican member of the committee staff may have also been involved in penetrating the Democratic computers. "I was shocked to learn that this may have occurred," Hatch said in a statement. "I am mortified that this...

Demo data hacked, Hatch admitsUtahn 'shocked' memos were accessed, leakedBy Lee DavidsonDeseret Morning NewsWASHINGTON — Saying he is shocked and mortified, Sen. Orrin Hatch announced Tuesday that at least one GOP aide on his Judiciary Committee "improperly accessed" Democratic computer files that were leaked to the press.The apparent effort to embarrass Democrats has blown up in the face of Hatch and Republicans — bringing more focus on how the memos were leaked than on how they showed that Democrats might have hindered confirmation of conservative judges to sway outcome of pending cases and please liberal groups. "I was shocked to...

A Republican Senate Judiciary Committee staff member has been suspended with pay after he admitted that he improperly gained access to "secure committee computers," Fox News Channel reports. Whether the staffer is the person who leaked numerous memos in which Democrats on the committee plotted to turn toe current filibuster of judicial nominees for political advantage was not stated. An angry Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch denounced the staffer's action, saying that senators expect their computers to be secure and calling the staffer's action "entirely unacceptable."

<p>Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch said Tuesday he had put one of his staffers on administrative leave for improperly obtaining data from the secure computer networks of two Democratic senators.</p> <p>Hatch, R-Utah, said preliminary interviews suggested that a former Republican member of the committee staff may have also been involved in penetrating the Democratic computers.</p>

<p>Republican senators took to the floor yesterday to express outrage over the internal staff memos that show Democrats planning with liberal interest groups to thwart President Bush's judicial nominees.</p> <p>"It's important that we address these memos and what, in fact, they confirm about the obstruction and destructive politics that have taken hold of the judicial-confirmation process," said Sen. John Cornyn, Texas Republican. "These special-interest groups are not only dictating the tune, expecting senators to dance to that tune, they're telling them that if they don't, they'll be punished."</p>