Opposition to Pickering Mounts After Second Hearing
Feature Story by Suzanne Lee - 2/20/2002
WASHINGTON?In the wake of the second Senate confirmation hearing on the nomination of Charles Pickering, Sr. to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, opposition continues to mount against the Mississippi district court judge. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to vote on the nomination February 28.In the weeks preceding the February 7 hearing, several social justice groups came out against the nomination and called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject it. Led by national organizations including the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, Alliance for Justice, and People for the American Way, the opposition focused on Pickering's poor civil rights record, particularly in employment discrimination, voting rights, and women's rights.
The National Association of Social Workers, Planned Parenthood, the National Council of Women's Organizations, and the Human Rights Campaign have all joined the list of Pickering's opponents in the days following the Senate hearing. LCCR has launched a new website, www.fairjudges.org to "help educate the American public, particularly policy makers, media and individuals interested in civil rights, about the individuals nominated to steward the judicial branch of government".
Opposition has not been limited to public interest groups. The Congressional Black Caucus and several Senators, including Senate Leader Tom Daschle have made public their opposition to Pickering.
Simultaneously, the growing opposition has focused media attention on the nomination. Wade Henderson, executive director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, reiterated his coalition's concerns over Pickering's poor civil rights record on the Feb. 19 edition of the Diane Rehm program. "The question is the record before us with respect to his attitude on the protection of civil rights for all Americans, and what we're saying is the record speaks for itself," said Henderson.
The editorial boards of several major newspapers have also condemned the nomination. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution addressed the importance of the seat at stake: "This is too important a matter for opponents to back down. All federal judicial appointments are made for life, but the decisions of the thirteen circuit courts, especially, have enormous impact on the lives of millions of Americans. If judges like Pickering were appointed, American justice would be skewed beyond recognition." The New York Times was more blunt: "Mr. Pickering's nomination is an affront to black people coast to coast."
Radio personality Tavis Smiley, who earlier urged listeners to attend Pickering's second hearing, has continued to address the importance of the circuit courts on his programs. On Feb. 18, he told listeners, "[I]t is so important to stop this nonsense now before Pickering gets in the pipeline to get up to the Supreme Court, number one. Number two...it's important to stop it now so that Mr. Bush will get the message that you can't just send us just anybody with any sort of record hating on black folk and put them in the pipeline to sit one day on the Supreme Court."
Grassroots activity has also stepped up following the Senate confirmation hearing. In Mississippi, California, Texas, and Louisiana, there have been a number of press events, issue forums, and call-in days to press Senators to reject Pickering's nomination. Activists in California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin, and Pickering's home state, Mississippi, have also been actively opposing the judicial nomination.
