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For Immediate Release
Contact: Drew Courtney or Josh Glasstetter,Phone: 202-467-4999,Email:,media@pfaw.org

Republicans Threaten to Block Obama's Judges

In a letter released yesterday, all 41 Senate Republicans threatened to
filibuster President Obama's judicial nominees unless they were given
veto power over judges from their states. The letter also demanded that
President Obama renominate Bush nominees like Peter Keisler,
Glen Conrad and Paul Diamond.

WASHINGTON

In a letter released yesterday, all 41 Senate Republicans threatened to
filibuster President Obama's judicial nominees unless they were given
veto power over judges from their states. The letter also demanded that
President Obama renominate Bush nominees like Peter Keisler,
Glen Conrad and Paul Diamond.

"The Republicans are doing everything in their power to cement
their reputation as the 'Party of No,'" said People For the
American Way President Kathryn Kolbert. "Voters gave President
Obama a mandate to appoint judges who understand that the Constitution and the
laws provide for equal justice for all. Now, before a single nomination
has been announced, Republicans are threatening to block every single one of
Obama's nominees. That's chutzpah."

Kolbert pointed out that over the last eight years, the vast majority
of President Bush's judges were confirmed by the Senate, despite the fact
that President Bush refused to include Senators in the process. President
Obama's counsel Gregory Craig has already reached out to Senators about
potential nominees.

"The Senate has an important role in the confirmation process,
and in extreme cases when the President has refused to consult with the Senate,
the minority has tools to obstruct nominees who are obviously unfit for the
bench. Obama looks to be clearing that standard easily," said
Kolbert. "But it was only a few years ago that the GOP was willing
to blow up the Senate in order to eliminate the filibuster entirely. They
told anyone who would listen that every judicial nominee deserved an up-or-down
vote without exception. Apparently, the Senate Republicans have the
collective memory of a goldfish."

People For the American Way works to build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. We fight against right-wing extremism and the injustice it fosters.

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