THE SENATE BATTLE OVER JUDGES AND THE HUCKABEE FACTOR

By William J. Murray - Washington, DC

Even before controlling the Senate a battle was waged by Democrats to slow down or stop the confirmation of Circuit Court and District judges appointed by President George W. Bush. Since taking control in 2007, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Reid has brought the judicial confirmation process to almost a full stop. In 2007 only six Circuit Court judges were confirmed. Reid, who is a Mormon, has oddly set up religious tests for the judges. Judicial appointees from the south, particularly Baptists and Catholics from anywhere who have publicly spoken of their faith have been obstructed by Reid and his allies. The core issue for Reid and the Democrats is abortion and their own allegiance to the abortion industry.

Judicial confirmations have come to a virtual stop as Democrats who control the Senate await the arrival of a socially liberal President in 2009 who would appoint judges who are pro-abortion to vacancies in District and Circuit Court levels. There is a strong belief among liberal Senators that even if Hillary Clinton did not win the White House that another pro-abortionist, Rudy Giuliani, would. Even Mitt Romney, who as governor appointed mostly social liberal judges, would offer acceptable judicial appointments to the Senate Democrat leadership.

Then came Huckabee.

To the horror of Senator Harry Reid and the liberal establishment Governor Mike Huckabee has risen to the top of the Republican field and has favorable ratings among all voters that exceed those of Senator Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. He also has an impeccable record as a three term governor of appointing socially conservative judges who stick to the Constitution, not international law. He has stood by and fought for Bush’s conservative judicial nominees from Arkansas including Leon Holmes whom Democrat Senators blocked for years.

Mike Huckabee has been unwavering in his pro-life stance, unlike the other top GOP contenders, including Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani. Huckabee understands that abortion is the defining social policy issue in America today while the rest of the GOP field does not. While it took 30 years in the Republican Party for Mitt Romney to discover that an unborn child is a human being, Mike Huckabee has always had that understanding.

Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will appoint liberal judges who will pay no attention to the Constitution as they move to change America to their liberal internationalist view. Clinton or Obama appointees would no doubt forbid us from mentioning the name of Christ in public as can be seen by their outrage that Mike Huckabee would mention His name in a TV ad for Christmas. States would be forced to accept gay marriage and homeschooling would be found unlawful nationally as a judge has already done in Utah. Courts would probably force religious schools to hire homosexual gym teachers, teach evolution as fact and pass out condoms. Those same kinds of judges could be appointed by a socially liberal Republican president.

The next president of the United States will turn the Supreme Court either to the far left or maintain it as an institution that upholds the Constitution and individual liberty. The same holds true for important Circuit Court vacancies. The only logical choice for social conservative voters in the Republican Party is a candidate with a proven record of appointing and fighting for judges who are strict Constitutional constructionists. For now, many social conservatives believe the only viable candidate who meets those criteria is Governor Mike Huckabee.

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William J. Murray is the chairman of the Religious Freedom Coalition in Washington, DC and nationally know author. His latest book is The Pledge: One Nation Under God.

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