NYT/AP: ABA Downgrades White House Aide Kavanaugh's Rating

ABA Downgrades White House Aide's Rating
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: May 8, 2006

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The American Bar Association downgraded its rating of President Bush's appellate court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, after new interviews raised concerns about his courtroom experience and open-mindedness, the chairman of the peer-review panel said Monday.

The 14-member committee changed the White House aide's rating from ''well-qualified'' to ''qualified'' last month in part because six members of the panel downgraded their rating from the last time Kavanaugh was reviewed, panel chairman Steven Tober said.

Nonetheless, Tober wrote in a statement Monday to the Senate Judiciary Committee that Kavanaugh is ''indeed qualified to serve on the federal bench.''

''This nominee enjoys a solid reputation for integrity, intellectual capacity and writing and analytical ability,'' Tober wrote. ''The concern has been and remains focused on the breadth of his professional experience.''

In the statement, Tober said new interviews conducted since the ABA's previous rating of Kavanaugh in 2005 raised ''additional concern over whether this nominee is so insulated that he will be unable to judge fairly in the future.''...

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Senate-Kavanaugh.html

IMHO

Of course his membership in the Federalist Society makes up for his lack of experience.

http://www.usdoj.gov/olp/kavanaughresume.htm

"Kavanaugh served as Associate Counsel under Kenneth Starr during the Whitewater investigation (1994-1997) and "went on to become a partner in Starr's private firm", Kirkland & Ellis until 2001, when he joined the Office of Counsel in the White House."

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Brett_M._Kavanaugh

Gimme a break!