Contact: Mike Russell at 703-683-5004

JUDICIAL CONFIRMATION NETWORK LAUNCHES DRIVE TO END OBSTRUCTIONISM
JCN Joins Dozens of Citizen Groups to Push for Fair Confirmation of Judicial Nominees

February 23, 2005

Washington - In an effort to halt blatantly partisan and personal attacks on many of the President's nominees to the Federal Courts, the Judicial Confirmation Network is circulating a national petition and is partnering with citizen organizations calling on Senators to bring the President's judicial nominations to the floor for respectful debate and timely votes.

"Our message is simple, the people want the Senate to do its work and our petition will remind Senators that they have an obligation to bring these nominations to the floor for a fair vote," said Gary Marx, executive director of Judicial Confirmation Network. "The rhetoric we are already hearing from the left is divisive and unproductive to the confirmation process. We hope the Senate will realize that the fear and smear tactics brought by some groups isn't helpful to a fair confirmation process," Marx added.

The group began distributing petitions this week via e-mail alerts to citizens and to dozens of other citizen activist organizations across the country. JCN expects thousands of respondents in coming weeks. In addition, the national petition calling for an end to obstructionism is accessible by visiting JCN's website.

Click here to view the petition.

"We just recently witnessed the stunning re-election defeat of former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, due largely to the public's perception that Sen. Daschle was no longer willing to work in a spirit of bi-partisan cooperation with his Republican colleagues," said Marx. "Sen. Daschle's defeat should send a signal to other Senators on the Hill who are contemplating similar obstructionist tactics. The public is simply tired of this kind of behavior by the U.S. Senate. They want their elected officials to do their jobs," Marx said.

The Judicial Confirmation Network is an organization of citizens joined together to support the confirmation of highly qualified individuals to the Supreme Court of the United States. In addition, JCN works to ensure that the confirmation process for all judicial nominees is fair and that every nominee sent to the full Senate receives an up or down vote. For more information or to schedule an interview with a spokesperson from JCN, please call Mike Russell at 703-683-5004.