We have a new Solicitor General, which is important because Solicitors General argue before the Supreme Court and thereby gain crucial experience that puts them on everyone’s short list when vacancies to the Supreme Court open up. Donald Verrilli seems like a fine choice and he was easily, if not overwhelmingly confirmed by a 72-16 margin. Only one senator spoke against him from the floor.
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) was the only member of the Judiciary Committee to vote against Verrilli and the sole senator to speak out against his confirmation from the Senate floor. Sessions said he would forgo the chance to filibuster but opposed the confirmation based on Verrilli’s stated belief that terrorism suspects ought to be tried in civilian courts rather than military tribunals.
“You don’t give them a trial. They are not entitled to lawyers. They are not entitled to go before judges,” Sessions said just minutes before the vote began. “They are prisoners of war and they are held in prisoner of war camps.”
But Sessions added he believed Verrilli to be a “fine lawyer.”
Sen. Sessions forgot to mention the electrodes on the balls.
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"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I don’t hold that against him. People should listen to John Barlow, who also happens to be be one of the Grateful Dead’s songwriters.
He speaks well for artists and creative people (e.g, writers).
In any case, someone needs to protect the interests of artists.
Also, awesome.
He’s also prevented one of my favorite nominees, Peter Diamond, from being confirmed. I’m not sure if you or your readers remember, but I gave glowing support for all of his Fed nominations. However, I was MOST impressed with Diamond. I’m pissed off about that beyond belief.
I thought the other Alabama senator was the main driver on that one.
You are right. It was/is Shelby.
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III is an evil bastard, period. He’s the one of Alabama’s Republican Senators who never was a Democrat. On the Senate side, and there’s a lot of competition there, he is the GOP Senator who is most clearly and consistently the representative of anti-compassionate conservativism (the polar opposite of compassionate anti-conservatism).
Sessions is the biggest waste of DNA in the Senate (again there is a lot of competition for that title).
“They are prisoners of war and they are held in prisoner of war camps.”
So, we should extend to, say, Khalid Sheik Mohammed the rights outlined for POWs under the Geneva Conventions? The right to receive letters and packages from home, for instance?
POWs have a lot more rights than convicted murderers, Senator.