A SAAD COMMENT ON THE STATE OF THE DEMOCRATS:

Harry Reid Steps Over the Line — Again (Byron York, 5/13/05, Naqtional Review)

As the Senate edges closer to a showdown on the issue of Democratic filibusters of the president's judicial nominees, Republicans on Capitol Hill are angry at remarks by Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid which they say smeared one of those blocked nominees.

During a debate about the filibusters Thursday, Reid, who has made a series of controversial statements about President Bush, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and others in recent months, brought up the subject of Henry Saad, a nominee to a seat on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. "Henry Saad would have been filibustered anyway," Reid said. "He's one of those nominees. All you need to do is have a member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI, and I think we would all agree there is a problem there."

Stunned Republicans say such a public description of a confidential FBI background report — clearly stating that it contains negative information — is, in the words of one GOP official, "deeply unethical." "He didn't reveal the contents, he just implied that something serious was there," says the Republican. "To drag this into the public debate is just totally improper." [...]

Republicans believe that is because Saad, who is currently a judge on the Michigan State Court of Appeals, angered Stabenow in September 2003 when he criticized her actions in blocking his nomination. In an e-mail to a supporter, Saad wrote of Stabenow, "This is the game they play. Pretend to do the right thing while abusing the system and undermining the constitutional process. Perhaps some day she will pay the price for her misconduct." But it was Saad who paid the price, because he mistakenly sent the e-mail not only to his supporter but to Stabenow's office. Stabenow immediately protested to the White House, which answered by re-nominating Saad last January. [...]

[Sen. Patrick] Leahy said the e-mail was evidence of "not only shockingly bad manners, but appalling judgment and a possible threatening nature."

Has their skin really been strecthed that thin?

Posted by Orrin Judd at May 13, 2005 7:59 PM