Think Progress

Senate confirms controversial court nominee Southwick.

The Senate today voted 59-38 to confirm Leslie Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. His nomination was opposed by major civil rights organizations, who criticized his “racially insensitive” writings. More on Southwick’s controversial past HERE.

UPDATE: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) delivered remarks, urging his colleagues to vote no.

UPDATE II: The roll call on the cloture vote is here.



37 Responses to “Senate confirms controversial court nominee Southwick.”

  1. Mugsy says:

    Sometimes I think some Congresspeople need to see a video of the nominee shooting puppies in the face before they’d reject a nominee that has popular support on the Right.


  2. Badmoodman says:

    Obviously some Democrats had no problem confirming. Buncha Bush enablers, all of ‘em.


  3. barfly says:

    This is why Joe Lieberman should be booted from the party. He enables other weak-kneed dems.


  4. Mugsy says:

    When racists and advocates of torture can pass approval by a majority of Congress, once has to ask, “Just how bad does a nominee have to be” for this Congress to not give them the job?


  5. And Yet... says:

    Diane Feinstein is a liar, or her office staff is, take your pick. They’ve told me repeatedly over this past week she would vote against Southwick.

    Words fail me sometimes, so I won’t use the curses that come to mind…


  6. Bush is a four letter word says:

  7. lonesomerobot says:

    y’know…
    i came back to this country because i thought (hoped) things were going to get better with the dems in the majority.

    this place is going down the tubes. the dems have no spines, they can’t even get the upper hand on an extremely unpopular president who a majority of americans think is a lame duck. it makes me have to ask the question: is america worth fighting for? i think i’m just going to have to consider leaving for good.


  8. roo says:

    So, if Harry Reid can’t hold the team together, why exactly is he Majority Leader?


  9. judyinnm says:

    Why did they even consider his nomination?


  10. NoOneYouKnow says:

    #5 and #8 above — what they said.


  11. tombaker says:

    we don’t need any more of Harry “urging”

    we need someone to LEAD


  12. Buckie Boy says:

    upheld the reinstatement, without any punishment whatsoever, of a white state employee who was fired for calling an African American co-worker a ‘good ole ‘N’word*’”…effectively ratified a hearing officer’s opinion that the slur … “was in effect calling the individual a ‘teacher’s pet.’” “The Southwick majority also affirmed the determination of the hearing officer who said the use of the term good old ‘N’ word…was in this context about as offensive as calling someone ‘a good old boy or Uncle Tom or chubby or fat or slim.’

    *Edited for the good reasons.

    And they Confirmed this bigot? Nice to know that the Senate is so intouch with reality.

    Buck Fush


  13. Shayne says:

    TCDon you are too funny. You’re sitting in a pile of shit and think you smell roses.


  14. fleetadmiralj says:

    Dems (or those who caucus with them) who voted yes:

    Akaka
    Byrd
    Conrad
    Dorgan
    Feinstein
    Johnson
    Lieberman
    Lincoln
    Nelson
    Pryor

    No Rs voted no. In addition, Carper, Inouye, and Salazar voted for cloture, but voted against the nominee. If those three had voted against cloture, the nomination would have successfully been filibustered (though this is dependent on whether they need 60 votes period, or just 60% of voters, as three people – Dodd, Boxer, and Kennedy – didn’t vote on either vote)


  15. crick says:

    Another day, another humiliation for the Democratic leadership. Such a strong masochistic streak.


  16. JT says:

    What’s controversial about this nominee? He wouldn’t support the left’s litmus test of how to rule on specific issues? Guess what, no legitimate judge would tell you how they would rule on any issue until it comes before the court. Until then, you’re just arguing hypotheticals to no avail.


  17. Coffins Draped with a Flag says:

    Now we know who are the true patriots, the 38 that voted “nay”. Good for them and shame on the other 59.


  18. JT says:

    Buckie Boy #13

    Every assertion you made is FALSE. These are leftist talking points. I challenge you to ACTUALLY read the judge’s opinions. Your eyes will open, and you will be ashamed of your post. Geez, quit regurgitating the talking points of the left!!


  19. LividLib says:

    Feinstein?!?!
    WTF???


  20. mary says:

    The Democrat establishment turned against Joe Lieberman a long time ago. His constituency did not.

    Comment by O. Bigfoot — October 24, 2007 @ 12:26 pm

    Shows how much you know! He won by getting all of the state’s Repub votes (the Repug candidate received almost no party support and had pathetic numbers). Oh, and it sure didn’t hurt that the Repub party poured money into his campaign and that he has a lot of fans in the Jewish community due to his support for Israel.

    “Ira Forman, executive director of the National Jewish Democratic Council (NJDC) said, “He can raise the money” to run a campaign. “There is a pro-Israel network of folks who are going to give to Lieberman because of his friendship to the Jewish community and because of who he is.”


  21. Witch1 says:

    If one want’s post’s from the reich they should hang out at redstate not TP…The only reich winged post’s here are from troll’s…Are you lost .? or just another troll.


  22. JT says:

    #25 Mary

    Boy, are you WRONG. He won 1/3 of the Dems votes and half the Independents’ votes. It was a landslide over his opponents and the mainstream Dems voted overwhelmingly for Lieberman. The only votes he didn’t get were from the far-left radicals who hijacked the media into thinking that Lamont had a chance.

    Here’s the link showing the data:

    http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2006/pages/results/states/CT/S/01/epolls.0.html


  23. JT says:

    Whassamater Witch1–can’t stand having your talking points handily refuted?

    “Those who march in lockstep to a drummer without noting the opposing viewpoints” deserve what they get. Open your mind and be a good citizen, not a talking point puppet.


  24. cha cha cha says:

    something passed with 59 votes? but that’s unpossible!


  25. Doc Rock says:

    Dorgan and Feinstein, most distressing


  26. mary says:

    Ha ha, man are you ever good at deluding yourself!

    1/3 of the Dem votes equals keeping his constituency?
    1/3 of the Dem votes equals “mainstream Dems voted overwhelmingly for Lieberman”?

    Does that mean that only 1/3 of Connecticut’s registered Democrats are “mainstream”?

    That’s some great self-brainwashing you’re practicing over there.


  27. JT says:

    Mary, no delusions here! Just refuting your point that he won only because he pulled only Republican votes. Where I come from, 1/3 of the Democratic constituency is a pretty fair turnout/representation of that party. It completely refutes your talking point that he only enjoys support from Republicans.

    Oh, and don’t forget that he overwhelmingly took the Independent vote as well. All in all, I stand by my assertions b/c they’re based on facts. Your assertions failed for lack of evidence.

    Next!…


  28. cha cha cha says:

    pulling “1/3 of the Democratic constituency” will also lose you a two-person democratic primary.


  29. Bullsmith says:

    The Democrats are killing themselves with capitulation after capitulation. They censure their own base. It’s the Republicans who are destroying America’s insitutions, trashing the Constitution, provide moral cover for warmongers and dictators and bankrupting the wealth of the nation. But the Democrats appear eager to help.


  30. impeachcheneythenbush says:

    #25 Mary

    Boy, are you WRONG. He won 1/3 of the Dems votes and half the Independents’ votes. It was a landslide over his opponents and the mainstream Dems voted overwhelmingly for Lieberman. The only votes he didn’t get were from the far-left radicals who hijacked the media into thinking that Lamont had a chance.

    Here’s the link showing the data:

    http://www.cnn.com/ ELECTION/ 2006/ pages/ results/ states/ CT/ S/ 01/ epolls.0.html

    Comment by JT — October 24, 2007 @ 1:10 pm

    Look again. Lamont got 65% of Democrats’ votes, 69% of lliberals’ votes.
    He got 70% of Republicans’ votes; 54% of Independents.


  31. Jason M. Hendler says:

    Once again you fall for Dems putting up a false front, while letting Bush administration policy slide through.

    Reps own you!


  32. JT says:

    Republicans hate facts

    Quit being a jerk and calling everybody who is capable of original thought “idiots.” Your attempts to bully those who don’t agree with you won’t work.


  33. MCMetal says:

    What’s controversial about this nominee? He wouldn’t support the left’s litmus test of how to rule on specific issues? Guess what, no legitimate judge would tell you how they would rule on any issue until it comes before the court. Until then, you’re just arguing hypotheticals to no avail.

    Comment by JT — October 24, 2007 @ 12:59 pm

    No stupid shit ; “the left’s litmus test” are candidates that do not have pre-conceived notions and bias that will influence a decision.

    Why do you think that most intelligent individuals were against Assholito and Chief Jerkoff Roberts ?

    Because their idiotic religious beliefs already have made decisions on certain topics before they ever review/hear a case .

    Get your head out of your stupid ass ; you’re suffocating yourself , and you don’t have any spare brain cells from the looks of it to be able to afford that……..


  34. MCMetal says:

    Republicans hate facts

    Quit being a jerk and calling everybody who is capable of original thought “idiots.” Your attempts to bully those who don’t agree with you won’t work.

    Comment by JT — October 24, 2007 @ 4:11 pm

    Neither does you trying to appear intelligent and/or competent ; you must be a Chimpy administration employee……….


  35. Jeremy in Denver says:

    JT, I’m going to dogpile you too.

    “No stupid shit ; “the left’s litmus test” are candidates that do not have pre-conceived notions and bias that will influence a decision.”

    ‘Stupid Shit’ = An Ad Hominem Attack. That is virtually an admission in an academic debate that you’ve lost the debate, but I’m going to let it slide.

    Suppose you had a 45 vote minority, and a democratic President selected a candidate for Judge that:

    1) Vocally favored granting same-sex partners a ‘domestic partnership’ of some kind, whether it be that or true marriage.

    2) Vocally favored Roe vs. Wade.

    3) Favored the Fairness Doctrine

    4) Favored a slew of other left-wing positions

    If you advocate filibustering his nomination, which I am certain you would, you are a hypocrite.

    Everyone has preconceived notions on which they act on. Even the most judicious of Justices sees the laws in the context of his own beliefs. To argue that any doesn’t is to lie…which is of course something the Right is very good at, which you are definitely a member of. Lovely how you get so High and Mighty ™ over a vote the Left feels didn’t go its way.

    Don’t be surprised when we laugh your sanctimoniously snivelling ass off our message boards.


  36. tomazulob says:

    It’s good to see that some things don’t change with Robert Byrd. I wonder if he is going to be buried in his dress sheets.


  37. blueseahorse says:

    I have given up. I surrender. I am through with politics. Both my senators did the right thing and voted NAY on this BUSHIE SYCOPHANT! but what good did it do? where was the fillibuster? where is the outrage from Clinton, Edwards, Kennedy, Obama, ….hello??….oh
    and I am proud to be an environmentalist and animal lover, and knowing how this world is going., if there was a video of something that that person thinks would make Republicans wake up, they are wrong: I think it would be a big hit in today’s world as “entertainment” and source of many sick jokes as I heard Jay Leno make on Michael Vick and dogfighting. Don’t say people care more about animals., give me a break….Most people care about one thing $$$$$$$$$$$. I may be cynical., etc., etc., but something has gone drasticallly wrong…..in many ways. No wonder psychiatrists are having a booming business.



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