JEFF SESSIONS

A while back, in a post on the judicial nominations question, I noted that Senator Jeff Sessions is more interested in criticizing the federal courts for their "activist" rulings than in designing a consensual nominations process. I mentioned a speech in which he goes on a rampage through 50 years of establishment clause cases, takes the 9th Circuit to task for a variety of "liberal" rulings, and defends Estrada as someone who will "follow the law." If you'd like to read that speech, you can access it here. According to Sessions, at least, there is no "downward spiral" in the nominations process. Instead, there is a (bad) "activist" judiciary that needs to be whipped into shape by a President who nominates -- and Senators who confirm -- what the rest of the world would call judges with conservative political and legal views. I don't know how many Senators share his views, but I'd like to find out.

MORE: Sam Heldman reminds us that Sessions was nominated for a District Court seat in 1986 and defeated and tells us to read the transcript: "It will knock your socks off." Now I know what I'll be doing next time I'm in DC (I don't think that Oswego's library has a complete collection of Judiciary Committee transcripts). . .