Rome Burned While Emperor Nero Fiddled

Justice Denied While Emperor Daschle And Jester Leahy Obstruct

Washington, D.C.– The 2-1 decision by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals that the Pledge of Allegiance describing the United States as ‘one Nation, under God’ is unconstitutional and outrageous, and an insult to all Americans. This decision is a tragic example of two activist judges who rewrote the Constitution, ignoring our history, the stance of the Founding Fathers, and the clear will of Congress and the American people almost 50 years ago.

These are the type of activist judges that Senators Tom Daschle (D-SD) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) would embrace as they work to block the confirmation of judicial nominees proposed by President George Bush, who is nominating outstanding jurists who would give a proper reading to the United States Constitution.

Look at the pathetic record of the Daschle-Leahy team. While no one president gets 100 percent of his judges confirmed promptly, 88% of Clinton’s judges were confirmed in his first year compared to a minuscule 20% of Bush’s in his first year. This is politics at its worst. It is hurting the American people especially seniors. We have a vacancy crisis in our federal courts. Justice delayed is justice denied.

Rome burned while Emperor Nero fiddled. Justice is being denied while Emperor Daschle and his court jester, Leahy, obstruct. Senators Daschle and Leahy: we demand you end the vacancy crisis and give us judges who will uphold, not rewrite, the U.S. Constitution by confirming the Bush judicial nominees.