This Is Getting out of Hand

Yesterday was "Justice Sunday," an event coordinated by several "Christian" leaders who feel as though God is eager to have all of Dubya's judicial nominees approved. In actuality, less than 5% of Bush's nominees have been blocked by filibusters (a total of 10); the others have been approved. I can understand why Bush's opponents would complain; I cannot understand what his supporters are so upset about. As Bill Clinton told Katie Couric, 40 of his nominees to Courts of Appeals were blocked by Republicans, far more than have been blocked by Democrats during the Bush administration. I would argue that the Senate (whether by a majority vote or a filibuster effort by a substantial minority) has a constitutional obligation to reject some of the president's nominees and not simply to approve them all on partisan grounds.

Of course, I have come to expect politicians and pundits of all political persuasions to find something to complain about in every situation. I am offended, however, when they start speaking on behalf of God, Christians, or "people of faith." The idea that Christians should unquestioningly support judges who consistently rule a certain way on matters of sexuality and reproduction is absurd. For one, many faithful Christians disagree on issues such as abortion and same-sex marriage or civil union. Even some Christians who oppose abortion do not accept the extremist views of some judges nominated for the federal judiciary and the self-proclaimed "pro-family" advocates who support them. Secondly, Christians must also be concerned with how these judges rule in cases related to healthcare, children's wellfare, or corporate misconduct or in instances where new DNA evidence casts doubt on a verdict.