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<br><br>I wish we had another McKinney to run against Feinstein.<br><br><br><br>> Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2007 02:07:14 -0700<br>> From: JamBoi@Greens.org<br>> To: cal-forum@cagreens.org; sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> Subject: [Sosfbay-discuss] Feinstein gets Dem. criticism, GOP raves over judge confirmation<br>> <br>> http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7270283<br>> Feinstein gets Dem. criticism, GOP raves over judge confirmation<br>> By ERICA WERNER Associated Press Writer<br>> Article Launched: 10/24/2007 05:18:28 PM PDT<br>> <br>> WASHINGTON—Sen. Dianne Feinstein's pivotal role in the confirmation of a<br>> controversial judge to a federal appeals court drew angry criticism from<br>> fellow Democrats on Wednesday—along with Republican applause.<br>> <br>> Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, issued a press release saying she was<br>> "incredibly disappointed" in Feinstein, while Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss.,<br>> said he would devote a chapter to the California senator in a future book<br>> on leadership.<br>> <br>> Feinstein was the only Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee to side<br>> with Republicans in favor of Judge Leslie Southwick. That allowed his<br>> nomination to get to the Senate floor, where it was approved 59-38 on<br>> Wednesday.<br>> <br>> Critics say Southwick has shown an insensitivity to the history of civil<br>> rights struggles in the 5th Circuit, which is based in New Orleans and<br>> serves Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. In one example, as a state<br>> appeals court judge in Mississippi, he was involved in a 1998 decision<br>> that upheld the reinstatement of a social worker who used a racial slur in<br>> reference to a co-worker.<br>> <br>> Three years later, Southwick joined a ruling against a bisexual mother in<br>> a custody case. He also joined what some activists said was an anti-gay<br>> concurring opinion.<br>> <br>> Feinstein defended her decision in a long Senate floor speech Tuesday,<br>> saying she'd given it much thought.<br>> <br>> "I think Judge Southwick made mistakes by concurring in the two opinions<br>> in question, but I don't think those rulings define his<br>> Advertisement<br>> views. I don't believe they outweigh the other factors that suggest Judge<br>> Southwick should be confirmed," Feinstein said.<br>> <br>> She cited Southwick's qualifications and character, the need to fill the<br>> longtime 5th Circuit vacancy, and the importance of looking ahead to the<br>> treatment of judicial nominees put forward by a future Democratic<br>> president.<br>> <br>> Feinstein noted that Southwick had been awarded a judicial excellence<br>> award by the Mississippi State Bar, and quoted from a letter he sent her<br>> in which he said he wished the opinion in the racial slur decision had<br>> more emphatically decried use of the n-word.<br>> <br>> That wasn't enough for Lee.<br>> <br>> "California is a state where we pride ourselves on civil rights, legal<br>> justice under the law, and I think the people of California would not want<br>> to see Southwick confirmed, and it's very disappointing," Lee said in an<br>> interview.<br>> <br>> She also said Feinstein had declined to meet with or talk to members of<br>> the Congressional Black Caucus at the time of the Judiciary Committee vote<br>> in August.<br>> <br>> In response, Feinstein spokesman Scott Gerber said: "Lines of<br>> communication were open between our two offices. Our chief of staff spoke<br>> to his counterpart in Rep. Lee's office at length prior to the Judiciary<br>> Committee vote."<br>> <br>> Feinstein drew scathing criticism from Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles,<br>> after the Judiciary Committee vote. Waters said at a Congressional Black<br>> Caucus press conference at the time that if Feinstein "continues to relate<br>> to this caucus in the way she's been doing ... we will have no alternative<br>> but to not only share this information, but to fight against her coming<br>> back to the United States Senate."<br>> <br>> Waters was not available for comment Wednesday.<br>> <br>> California's other senator, Democrat Barbara Boxer, voted against<br>> Southwick on Wednesday.<br>> <br>> _______________________________________________<br>> sosfbay-discuss mailing list<br>> sosfbay-discuss@cagreens.org<br>> http://lists.cagreens.org/mailman/listinfo/sosfbay-discuss<br><br /><hr />Climb to the top of the charts! Play Star Shuffle: the word scramble challenge with star power. <a href='http://club.live.com/star_shuffle.aspx?icid=starshuffle_wlmailtextlink_oct' target='_new'>Play Now!</a></body>
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