> Bush Installs Pickering on Federal Appeals Court
President Bush bypassed Congress and installed Charles Pickering on the federal appeals court Friday in an election-year slap at Democrats who had blocked the nomination for more than two years.
Bush installed Pickering by a recess appointment, which avoids the confirmation process. Such appointments are valid until the next Congress takes office, in this case in January 2005.
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Democrats have accused Pickering of supporting segregation as a young man, and promoting anti-abortion and anti-voting rights views as a state lawmaker.
They also have said they wouldn't be able to trust him to keep his conservative opinions out of his work on the federal appeals court.
Here is a list of reasons why Pickering is bad news. Is this really who you want on an appeals court? My disgust is palpable - a physical entity in the room.
Bush acts like he was elected and speaks for the people of the US. Where does he come off? What happened to his being a uniter not a divider? I can't think of a more divisive character.
** Update ** Calpundit points out that this year it's Pickering, last year on MLK day Bush announced his opposition to affrimative action in the University of Michigan case. Nice.-----
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