This just in from People for the American Way:

CARE PACKAGES GO TO SENATORS: "UP ALL NIGHT FOR JUSTICE"

November 12, 2003

Washington - The Coalition for a Fair and Independent Judiciary is delivering "care packages" to Capitol Hill Wednesday for the comfort of Senators who are courageously standing up for the Constitution and the use of the filibuster in judicial nominations.

The group, composed of advocates for civil rights and liberties, the environment, reproductive choice and equality, and other progressive groups, is sending a "Care Package for Courageous Senators," which includes:

Bush judicial nominee for the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Calif. Justice Janice Rogers Brown, was approved by a 10-9 vote of the Judiciary Committee Thursday.

A filibuster is expected when the nomination comes to a full Senate vote. This is an important nomination to block because Brown is frequently mentioned as a possible Supreme Court replacement. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals is considered the most influential appeals court in the nation.

Call your Senators today and tell them you want a filibuster. Here's the phone list with their individual office numbers. Or call the toll free Congressional switchboard, 1- 800-839-5276. For some reasons why, go here and here. Here's some of the latest news on the planned filibuster.

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People For the American Way gets it right in its description of the GOP's scheduling a second cloture vote on Alabama Attorney General William Pryor who was filibustered and prevented from obtaining a seat on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals:

"With apologies to The Who, all I can say is ‘meet the new vote – same as the old vote.’ William Pryor’s record hasn’t changed. This is a cynical exercise in politics. The Republicans don’t want a judge – they want a campaign issue to appeal to their hard-core conservative base."

On a related topic, here's new information on California Justice Janice Rogers Brown, detailing why her nomination to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals should be defeated.

Here are the phone numbers for the Senate Judiciary Committee members if you'd like to call and voice your opinion.

If you're not out trick or treating tomorrow evening, please tune in and watch thi show. (If you are, we hope you will set your Tivo and watch it when you get back.)

NOW with Bill Moyers
PBS Broadcast: October 31, 2003 at 9pm ET
(check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html)

There's a bitter battle being waged over President Bush's judicial nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Janice Rogers Brown's nomination has been called one of the "most divisive judicial nominees in modern times" by The New York Times and "an extraordinary nominee with a compelling personal story" by The Lawyers Weekly. NOW takes viewers inside the chambers of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation to see American democracy at work and examines what's at stake with this important and controversial nomination.

You'll find out why her record is causing politicans and diverse groups like People for the American Way, NAACP, and the National Bar Association, to name a few, oppose her nomination.

If you're not out trick or treating tomorrow evening, please tune in and watch thi show. (If you are, we hope you will set your Tivo and watch it when you get back.)

NOW with Bill Moyers
PBS Broadcast: October 31, 2003 at 9pm ET
(check local listings at http://www.pbs.org/now/sched.html)

There's a bitter battle being waged over President Bush's judicial nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Janice Rogers Brown's nomination has been called one of the "most divisive judicial nominees in modern times" by The New York Times and "an extraordinary nominee with a compelling personal story" by The Lawyers Weekly. NOW takes viewers inside the chambers of the Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation to see American democracy at work and examines what's at stake with this important and controversial nomination.

You'll find out why her record is causing politicans and diverse groups like People for the American Way, NAACP, and the National Bar Association, to name a few, oppose her nomination.

The Republicans today failed to overcome the Democrats' filibuster on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

From People for the American Way:

Washington - People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas today
declared the vote rejecting cloture on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals a victory for civil rights, our independent judiciary, and the Senate confirmation process.

"I congratulate the courageous senators who held fast in their opposition to
this nominee in the face of enormous pressure from the White House, Senator
Trent Lott, Representative Chip Pickering and their right-wing allies. These senators are heroes who are willing to stand up for the Constitution, and efforts to paint them as obstructionists are simply outrageous. Judge Pickering's record of hostility to the principles of civil rights and equal access under the law made him the wrong choice for this powerful, lifetime position to the federal appellate bench.

"Today's vote shows again that the filibuster is crucial to our constitutional system of checks and balances. Now that the cloture vote has failed, I urge the White House to start working with the Senate in a bipartisan fashion to select mainstream nominees who will be confirmed, and stop trying to score political points with the far right by pushing extreme nominees."

The Republicans today failed to overcome the Democrats' filibuster on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals.

From People for the American Way:

Washington - People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas today
declared the vote rejecting cloture on the nomination of Charles Pickering to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals a victory for civil rights, our independent judiciary, and the Senate confirmation process.

"I congratulate the courageous senators who held fast in their opposition to
this nominee in the face of enormous pressure from the White House, Senator
Trent Lott, Representative Chip Pickering and their right-wing allies. These senators are heroes who are willing to stand up for the Constitution, and efforts to paint them as obstructionists are simply outrageous. Judge Pickering's record of hostility to the principles of civil rights and equal access under the law made him the wrong choice for this powerful, lifetime position to the federal appellate bench.

"Today's vote shows again that the filibuster is crucial to our constitutional system of checks and balances. Now that the cloture vote has failed, I urge the White House to start working with the Senate in a bipartisan fashion to select mainstream nominees who will be confirmed, and stop trying to score political points with the far right by pushing extreme nominees."

The New York Times says of all the Bush judicial nominees, Janice Rogers Brown is " among the very worst ."

As an archconservative justice on the California Supreme Court, she has declared war on the mainstream legal values that most Americans hold dear. And she has let ideology be her guide in deciding cases. At her confirmation hearing this week, Justice Brown only ratified her critics' worst fears. Both Republican and Democratic senators should oppose her confirmation.

The New York Times says of all the Bush judicial nominees, Janice Rogers Brown is " among the very worst ."

As an archconservative justice on the California Supreme Court, she has declared war on the mainstream legal values that most Americans hold dear. And she has let ideology be her guide in deciding cases. At her confirmation hearing this week, Justice Brown only ratified her critics' worst fears. Both Republican and Democratic senators should oppose her confirmation.

Here is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy on Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown. [link via How Appealing]. Her confirmation hearing was held today. As expected, it was not smooth sailing at the hearing.

Alliance for Justice published this critique of Judge Brown yesterday:

Citing some of her controversial judicial opinions and public speeches, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron said, "After a thorough review of Justice Brown's record, we have profound concerns about her ability and willingness to put aside her extreme, anachronistic views of the law and decide cases as statute and precedent require."

Aron described Brown's record as evincing a strong hostility to claims of discrimination based on race, age, gender, and disability, affirmative action, reproductive rights, and worker and consumer protections. "Justice Brown's record as a state court judge raises serious questions about her commitment to equal justice and her fitness for an appointment to the federal judiciary," Aron said.

All of our coverage of Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown is here.

Here is the statement of Senator Patrick Leahy on Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown. [link via How Appealing]. Her confirmation hearing was held today. As expected, it was not smooth sailing at the hearing.

Alliance for Justice published this critique of Judge Brown yesterday:

Citing some of her controversial judicial opinions and public speeches, Alliance for Justice President Nan Aron said, "After a thorough review of Justice Brown's record, we have profound concerns about her ability and willingness to put aside her extreme, anachronistic views of the law and decide cases as statute and precedent require."

Aron described Brown's record as evincing a strong hostility to claims of discrimination based on race, age, gender, and disability, affirmative action, reproductive rights, and worker and consumer protections. "Justice Brown's record as a state court judge raises serious questions about her commitment to equal justice and her fitness for an appointment to the federal judiciary," Aron said.

All of our coverage of Bush judicial nominee Janice Rogers Brown is here.

Two federal judges yesterday expressed their criticism of Congress and the Justice Department's interference with their ability to exercise independent discretion in sentencing decisions. See here and here. We hope more Judges follow suit. The independence of our judiciary is at stake. Ashcroft must be stopped from hijacking it.