Salter on PFAW

Sid Salter blogs on "People for the American Way" and their slander of Southwick (and Pickering and Wallace before him):

If there exists an organization in this country that flies under more false colors than People for The American Way, I haven't seen it....This group seems to exist for the sole purpose of assaulting the character of any judge who happens to disagree with their views on abortion. As we've seen in the case of Mississippians Charles Pickering, Mike Wallace, and now Leslie Southwick, People for the American Way will stop at nothing to muddy and sully any judicial nominee with whom they disagree. Since these are Mississippians and Republicans to boot, the quick and dirty method is to accuse them of racism....Today, PFAW are trying to scuttle Southwick's nomination to the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals as they have those of Pickering and Wallace. The attacks on Southwick are so baseless and ignore the reality of Southwick's life in Mississippi. People for the American Way and Ralph Neas, their leader, have totally misrepresented the lives of these three men simply to further PFAW's own pro-choice agenda. That's fine if that what they want to do, but let's not call anything about these sleazy smear campaigns "the American way." It's the "American way" only if you live in the late Sen. Joe McCarthy's America.

People for the American Way on Southwick

In this article accusing Southwick of Homophobia and maybe racism, Ralph Neas, President of People for the American Way says, "First Pickering, then Wallace, and now Southwick – Bush has completely struck out on the Fifth Circuit....Just like Pickering and Wallace before him, Southwick appears ready and willing to turn back the clock on fifty years of social justice progress in our nation."

In Pickering's upcoming book he writes about the records of other Bush nominees Miguel Estrada, Janice Rogers Brown, Priscilla Owen, and William Pryor saying, “They are and were all excellent jurists who were treated unfairly. The slander and attack and lies they faced are a price too high for public service; but they endured and they prevailed." Pickering additionally said of Estrada, “He was treated more unfairly than I or any of the other Bush nominees. His confirmation would have been an inspiration and a challenge to immigrants and minorities across our land, and he would have served with distinction in the federal judiciary. Any sensitive and thinking American should be offended by what Far Left special–interest groups did to Miguel Estrada. The price of public service should not be so high.”

People for the American Way are now trying to extract that same high price from Leslie Southwick.

Southwick, Wallace, Pickering

The Jackson Clarion Ledger writes in an editorial today, "The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee's postponing a scheduled vote last week on the nomination of Leslie Southwick to a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was not unexpected, given the past politics and posturing by Senate Democrats on the nominations of Charles Pickering and Michael Wallace. But, it's still extremely frustrating....It's clear that no Republican nominee submitted from Mississippi by President Bush will be satisfactory to Senate Democrats and the special interests to whom Democrats are beholden. To be sure, Republicans have engaged in similar tactics in the past against Clinton-era judicial nominees and GOP nominees are now paying the price. But in the process of this futile exercise in politics and posturing, the characters of three good and decent Mississippians have been unjustly assaulted. Southwick, Wallace and Pickering are guilty of one charge - they are guilty of being Republicans with right-of-center views on abortion. But they've been branded by special interests as racists and worse during the confirmation process - a charge that is easy to make against a Mississippian and one that is of a nuclear political nature. In the cases of Southwick and Pickering in particular, the charge of racism is at such odds with their public and personal conduct in Mississippi as to be ridiculous....(Read the full editorial here)

"The Clinton Administration" blogs on this today as well.

Democrats Delay Southwick

In early 2001, President George W. Bush nominated Judge Charles Pickering to fill a seat on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Except for the one year that Pickering served on that court with a recess appointment, this vacancy (termed a judicial emergency) has persisted until today. The Democrats delayed, obstructed, blocked and filibustered Pickering. Then the Democrats delayed, obstructed and blocked Mike Wallace who eventually withdrew. Now the Democrats are delaying and obstructing Leslie Southwick. Full story in today's Clarion Ledger.

Pre-Order "A Price Too High"

Barnes & Noble $27.16 ($24.14 for members)

Books A Million $23.76 ($21.38 for members)

Amazon $22.41

Stroud & Hall $27.16

Buy it at Amazon.com

Amazon.com is selling "A Price Too High" for $22.41 - you can pre-order it today.

Pre-order "A Price Too High"

Stroud & Hall is taking pre-orders for "A Price Too High: The Judiciary in Jeopardy."

Here is a preview of the table of contents:

Chapter 1 - Nominated: 2001
Chapter 2 - Choosing Sides: 1960s
Chapter 3 - Abortion: The Engine of Opposition
Chapter 4 - The Attack
Chapter 5 - A Burning Cross
Chapter 6 - As Promised: A “Nasty and Contentious” Hearing
Chapter 7 - Looking for One Vote
Chapter 8 - Confirmation Limbo: Bottled Up in Committee
Chapter 9 - Election of 2002
Chapter 10 - Re-nominated
Chapter 11 - Filibustered
Chapter 12 - Recess Appointment
Chapter 13 - “60 Minutes”
Chapter 14 - Serving on the Fifth Circuit
Chapter 15 - Consequences
Chapter 16 - A Problem that Cries Out for Solution
Chapter 17 - Restoring Civility, Respecting One Another
Chapter 18 - End the Filibuster: The Constitutional Option
Chapter 19 - Procedure for Confirmation
Chapter 20 - Protect the Amendment Process

Here are some advance comments on the book:

"My friend Judge Charles Pickering, a much respected jurist, was in a very real sense martyred for his faith. Senators shockingly refused his confirmation largely because of his expressed Christian views." - CHARLES W. COLSON: Founder, Prison Fellowship

"Charles Pickering Sr. has written an extraordinary book, a healing book at a time when that is what we all need. Senator Chuck Schumer should pay special attention to Chapter Thirteen." - MIKE WALLACE: 60 Minutes

"Having known Charles Pickering for more than thirty years, I watched with frustration and anger as far left groups and liberal senators falsely smeared him and insulted Mississippi. But what he and other conservative judicial nominees endured actually hurt Democrats at the polls and helped assure confirmation of John Roberts and Sam Alito to the Supreme Court. In A Price Too High Judge Pickering shares an intriguing story that every Mississippian and everyone interested in good government should read." - HALEY BARBOUR: Governor of Mississippi and former chairman, Republican National Committee

"Charles Pickering’s four-year confirmation fight gave him a unique perspective of how liberal politicalization of the judiciary seriously threatens the third branch of government. The recommendations in A Price Too High are both reasonable and provocative and will make a positive contribution toward solving a problem that gravely endangers the Judiciary and undermines comity and collegiality in the Senate. This is a must-read for all who are serious about fidelity to the Constitution." - DAVID LIMBAUGH: Attorney and author of Persecution

"Let’s see if I have this right: White northern liberals, who knew absolutely nothing about the real Charles Pickering, maligned him as a bigot who was soft on cross-burners. But African-American civil rights workers in Mississippi know Judge Pickering as a man of great moral courage who took on the KKK back when it was dangerous and who to this day stands for decency and fair play. This tells you a lot about Pickering – but even more about his enemies. For some, public service is a price too high, but not for Charles Pickering." - BERNARD GOLDBERG: Journalist and author of Bias

"Unlike those who attacked him in Washington, D.C., I know Charles Pickering personally; and I know his positive record on race relations, civil rights, and equal protection for all. A Price Too High tells a captivating and compelling story of a young man who came of age in the segregated South, and at the age of 26, fought the Ku Klux Klan when they were strongest. Washington liberals attempted to portray him as a racist; they sickened me. I’ve been in the fight. I have the wounds. I know the truth. If you are interested in promoting better race relations, you should read Charles Pickering’s story." - CHARLES EVERS: Civil rights leader, Brother of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, And former mayor of Fayette, Mississippi

You can read a few excerpts of the book here - but Pickering reveals some interesting behind the scenes information you should read in the book, if it isn't mentioned in news reports first.