Women's suffrage memorialized in commemorative trail

Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) and Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) testified before the National Parks Subcommittee hearing to discuss a series of bills that would the establishment of a commemorative trail in connection with the women's suffrage movement, in addition to preserving key environmental regions.

Clinton stated that "heritage tourism" is critical for economic development that more communities are beginning to use for advancement. The series of bills would create the "Votes for Women History Trail Route" in the state of New York. Dole said that public involvement in public parks is also important to preserving hunting and fishing areas.

However, Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) expressed concern over the bills' provisions on cattle grazing, hunting and maintenance of forests. He stated that amendments needed to be made to address these serious concerns.

Republican senators take a stand on protecting American justice

Eight Senate Republicans gathered this afternoon to hold a forum on “Protecting American Justice: Ensuring Confirmation of Qualified Judicial Nominees.” Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) led the forum and said that it is not fair to the American people for Congress to block certain judicial nominees in an effort to obtain partisan revenge. Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) agreed with Specter and said that U.S. courts are the front lines of contact between the American citizens and Congress.

Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) said that there is no excuse for not considering voting upon a good judicial nominee. He said that republicans are ready to go to work and serve justice. Sen. John Warner said it is sad watching qualified nominees not get invited to hearings and go into the “partisan fight.” Sen. Wayne Allard (R-Colo.) agreed with Warner and said that good nominees should not be trumped by partisan politics.

John McGinnis of Northwestern Law School said the process of confirming judicial nominees has broken down in the last few years and become a partisan process. He explained that over the last twenty years, the Senate Judiciary Committee has often refused to hold hearings or take votes on federal court nominees of a President who is a member of the opposing political party. McGinnis said that by delaying or refusing to provide hearings for plausibly qualified federal court nominees, the Judiciary Committee is likely to harm the quality of the judiciary. He proposed that the Committee pass a rule requiring the Judiciary Committee to hold a hearing within six months of a nomination and to hold a Committee vote without one month of the hearing, unless at least two-thirds of the Committee agrees to postpone it.

David Bohn of the North Carolina Bar Association said that his association joins in calling for nominations to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to move forward immediately, specifically Judge Robert Conrad’s nomination. Bohn said that further delay in the nomination will cause more harm than good, and that to continue to have the State of North Carolina under-represented in the Circuit is “a misfortunate, unnecessary detriment to the public and the legal community of North Carolina.”

Roscoe Howard, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, explained that the D.C. Circuit has been affected by a growing caseload. He said that not having vacancies filled during a time like this is “just wrong.” Howard gave his support for Mr. Keisler and Judge Conrad and said that when the confirmation of men such as them fail to move forward, there is an appearance of a lack of appreciation of their capabilities, and of the respect they have earned. More importantly, Howard said that the integrity of the U.S. judicial system of selecting judges is harmed and diminished.

Republicans: Democrats “playing politics” over judicial nominee

A group of Republican Senators headed by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) chastised Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) for what they viewed as “playing politics with a judicial nomination. The nomination of Judge Robert Conrad to be on the fourth district circuit court of appeals is currently being held up by Sen. Leahy who has yet to give Judge Conrad a hearing.

The Senate Republicans which included Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.), Sen Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah.) all focused their attention on the lack of fairness that they view towards Judge Conrad. Hatch, who has been in the senate 32 years, said that because both Senators Dole and Burr are supporting Judge Conrad that holding a hearing should not even be an issue.

“Judge Conrad has the support of both the senators (from North Carolina) that doesn’t happen all that often.” Hatch added that by the senates judiciary committee not holding a hearing it “denigrates the judicial process.”

A key sticking point that infuriated Republicans was that the hearing has been in limbo for now 338 days, a testament to the strife that is currently on going in the Senate. When asked what she viewed as the reason for the hold up Sen. Dole said that it must have “something to do with politics.”

Judge Robert Conrad was nominated by President Bush 338 days ago to be seated on the North Carolina fourth circuit court of appeals. Conrad has previously been confirmed by the Senate to be a U.S. Attorney in 2001 and has been unanimously rated “well qualified” by the American Bar Association.