Following today’s announcement that President Bush’s nominee for the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, Michael Wallace of Mississippi, received a unanimous “not qualified” rating from the American Bar Association, People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas called on the President to withdraw the nomination:

“Enough is enough. President Bush’s desire to pack the federal courts with right-wing ideologues has led him to nominate someone who is simply unqualified to be a federal appeals court judge. There comes a point when a leader must choose between the interests of partisan politics and the integrity of our court system. We must have fair, qualified judges on the federal courts who will represent the interests of all Americans impartially – not judges dedicated to partisan politics or strict ideologies.

“I’m afraid that the President and some of his colleagues on Capitol Hill believe that Michael Wallace-type nominees can fire up archconservative voters and bring them to the polls. We must protect the courts from such short-sighted strategies, and realize that only fair, independent and competent men and women should be considered for lifetime appointments.

“Wallace is the first appeals court nominee in 24 years to receive a unanimous ‘not qualified’ rating from the ABA . The President should immediately withdraw his nomination.”