To return briefly to the more prosaic but just as important subject of rightwing court-packing - remember William Pryor?
If you don't, and even if you do, go and read this transcript of a terrific NOW segment from last Friday, on the battle royal over Bush appointments to the Federal Judiciary; it's major focus is Mr. Pryor, 41 year old AG of Alabama, who has been nominated to be a Federal Appelate Judge, a lifetime appointment, thank-you very much.
His nomination hasn't been reported out of committee yet. It was scheduled to be last week, but was then postponed, apparently because Senator Arlen Spector wasn't yet on board this particular Bush humvee. The postponed vote is coming up THIS THURSDAY.
Naturally there's a lot of pressure being put on the Senator from Pennsylvanna. His vote against Pryor will probably bolster his centrist credentials enough to guarantee his re-election, but Spector 's already got that principled moderate repurtation locked in, let's make him earn it.
Working For Change makes it easy for you. Nothing more required than your name on an email, they do the rest.
Or, perhaps even better, especially if you have impressive letterhead, do as MB of Wampum suggests:
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PLEASE FAX A LETTER OF OPPOSITION ON YOUR LETTERHEAD TO 202-318-4040. A copy of your letter will be delivered to the US Senate Judiciary Committee and to all senators should there be a floor vote on this nominee. For more information, go to www.adawatch.org.
There's always the option of calling Spector's Washington office, but unless you're a constituent, it will matter less. If James C of the always estimable Rittenhouse Review were still planning to run against Spector, I'd say let Arlen vote with Bush and pay for it at the ballot box. But alas, we now have no excuse for letting Spector off the hook.
Read the transcript and you'll understand just how important it is that Mr. Pryor not be appointed to the Court Of Appeals.