Senate committee delays Southwick vote

[maddezmom]

Source: Gannett


WASHINGTON — Continuing concerns about Mississippi judicial nominee Leslie Southwick forced the Senate Judiciary Committee today to postpone a second scheduled vote to send the nomination to the full Senate.

Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, the top committee Republican, said he believes the committee will approve Southwick's nomination.

However, committee chairman Patrick Leahy said objections from a number of civil rights groups about Southwick's rulings in a handful of cases raise questions about the 57-year-old nominee's commitment to equal justice.

Leahy, D-Vt., gave little indication of how he would vote. He noted that in his 30 years as a Judiciary Committee member he usually deferred to a nominee's home state senators.




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