Yale Daily News: Liu LAW ’98 faces scrutiny

Since Goodwin Liu’s LAW ’98 nomination to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in late February, liberals and conservatives alike have spoken out strongly for and against the Yale grad’s possible confirmation, as some pundits on both sides anticipate his rise through the ranks of the judiciary.

Liu’s original hearing, slated for March 10, was pushed back to March 24 and again to April 16 because of Republican opposition. In a letter sent Tuesday to Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Republicans on the committee attempted to delay the hearing even further — a request Leahy flatly rejected. The letter, authored by the ranking Republican on the committee, Jeff Sessions of Alabama, alleges that Liu’s failure to submit to the committee 117 documents pertinent to his legal philosophy until just this week raises serious questions about his candidacy.

Though Sessions’ claims were rejected, they represent widespread conservative resistance to Liu’s perceived liberal slant. But liberals and some conservatives have said that not only was President Barack Obama within his rights to select a liberal like Liu, but Liu’s judicial philosophy also falls within the mainstream anyway.

http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/university-news/2010/04/08/liu-law-98-faces-scrutiny/