Real Kato Blog: Bush Appoints Pickering

With Congress in recess, Bush appointed controversial judge Charles Pickering to a federal appeals court, bypassing months of Democratic filibustering. Democrats were rightfully outraged.

Charles Pickering's appointment to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals came on January 16th, a few days before Martin Luther King Day. Given Pickering's history of condoning discrimination, opposing minority voting rights, and opposing interracial marriage, this appointment is insulting to all of us. All of us with any moral character, anyway.

Now, appointing judges during Congressional recess is not unusual. Presidents do this all the time. So that part doesn't really bother me.

What's irritating is that Republicans have been trying to paint Democrats as anti-religious, anti-American, and "obstructionist" because they have opposed Pickering and a handful of other judges. Of course, the Senate has approved 160 of Bush's judge appointments this year... is that obstructionist? Are Republicans trying to say that the other judges were only approved because they were not religious? And do the Republicans admit to being obstructionist when they blocked Clinton's appointees?

What bugs me the most is that Republicans actually expect me to buy their sound bites, and believe that Pickering's appointment is good for us all. Hmph!

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