Bush Court Nominee Wallace Rated 'Unqualified' By ABA Panel

:popcorn:


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/10/AR2006051002101.html?nav=rss_politics

By Charles Lane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, May 11, 2006; Page A11

A committee of the nation's largest lawyers organization yesterday unanimously rated President Bush's choice for a federal appeals court "unqualified," the first such vote in almost a quarter-century.

The 15-member Judicial Screening Committee of the American Bar Association found Michael B. Wallace, 55, a former aide to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), unfit to sit on the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi.

The ABA committee reported its rating in a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) and ranking minority member Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.). The letter did not explain the reasons for the rating, but traditionally the ABA testifies before the committee when it finds a nominee unqualified.

Since his nomination Feb. 8, Wallace has drawn criticism from liberal interest groups, which say he is not supportive enough of civil rights and legal services for the poor.

of civil rights! The ABA has qualified a lot of nominees in the last 25 years, and lots of them were not very supportive of civil rights. There's something else going on here for sure!