ConfirmThem

By AndrewHyman Comments () / Email this page » / Leave a comment »

MSNBC quotes Senator Frist today, regarding Justices Brown and Owen:

“Are they really ‘out of the mainstream,’ was 84 percent of a states’ population or 76 percent of a states’ voting population really ‘out of the mainstream’?" Frist asked. “Or is what’s ‘out of the mainstream’ the fact that people like Priscilla Owen and Janice Rogers Brown are denied a simple, fair, up-or- down vote"?

One reporter asked Frist why he was calling up for floor debate nominees who the Democrats see as the most provocative?

"Priscilla Owen, is she provocative?" Frist replied. "The only thing I've ever heard from the other side of the aisle on Priscilla Owen is an argument on parental consent, that she believes parents should be involved if children get abortions. That's the only thing I've ever heard."

Here's part of a May 15 Washington Times editorial:

Justice Owen was reelected to the Texas Supreme Court in 2000 with 84 percent of the vote after being endorsed by the largest newspapers in Texas's three biggest cities: the Houston Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News and the San Antonio Express-News. And while NARAL Pro-Choice America has criticized her positions on Texas's parental-notification law relating to abortions for minors, it is worth noting that Justice Owen is among the 80 percent of Americans who support parental notification.

Justice Brown is reportedly slightly less mainstream than Justice Owen:

California citizens overwhelmingly approved of Justice Brown's job performance and in 1998, reelected her with 76 percent of their vote, the highest of all four justices on the ballot that year.

As far as I'm aware, the people of California and Texas were not misinformed when they voted overwhelmingly for Justices Brown and Owen, respectively.