GOP Schedules Second Pryor Cloture Vote, Neas Charges Politics

The Senate Republican leadership has scheduled a new cloture vote to try to bring the nomination of right-wing Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Pryor’s first cloture vote in July failed, and neither party is predicting a change in the outcome.

People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas had the following statement:

“With apologies to The Who, all I can say is ‘meet the new vote – same as the old vote.’ William Pryor’s record hasn’t changed. This is a cynical exercise in politics. The Republicans don’t want a judge – they want a campaign issue to appeal to their hard-core conservative base.

“They’re following the playbook Robert Novak laid out in his column last month. Schedule one vote after another when they already know they’ll lose, and try to stir up their base with a meaningless gesture. Not even hard-core conservatives should be fooled by this ploy.

“Sadly, I won’t be surprised if GOP senators again raise smokescreen charges that opposition to Pryor is ‘anti-Catholic.’ Objections to Bill Pryor’s confirmation are grounded in his extreme legal philosophy and his record as a public official. It is offensive and divisive to suggest otherwise. It seems the only strategy they can pursue is diversion and intimidation.”