Richard Painter, once the chief White House ethics lawyer for President George W. Bush, has a comprehensive, well-researched piece in the Huffington Post whose title says it all: “Qualified, Measured, and Mainstream: Why the Senate Should Confirm Goodwin Liu.” Now a professor at the University of Minnesota, this conservative lawyer is one of the many legal scholars from across the political spectrum to support Liu’s nomination.

Despite this broad support, perhaps no jurist nominated to the federal bench by President Obama has been maligned, mischaracterized, and mistreated by far right extremists more than Goodwin Liu. Point by point, Painter demolishes the myths about Liu. As Painter explains in detail, the caricature the far right has created bears no relation to reality. As he writes:

Liu’s opponents have sought to demonize him as a “radical,” “extremist,” and worse. National Review Online’s Ed Whelan has led the charge with a “one-stop repository” of attacks on Liu. However, for anyone who has actually read Liu’s writings or watched his testimony, it’s clear that the attacks–filled with polemic, caricature, and hyperbole–reveal very little about this exceptionally qualified, measured, and mainstream nominee. …

This post brings together a variety of material about Liu:

• First, I review Liu’s background, qualifications, and key endorsements.
• Second, I highlight two letters from respected authorities that shed important light on Liu’s scholarly record.
• Third, I provide several responses to various attacks on Liu.
• Fourth, I address Liu’s opposition to the Supreme Court confirmations of Roberts and Alito, two Justices whom I vigorously supported as a Bush administration lawyer and whom I believe were outstanding additions to the Court.

These materials summarize why Liu is an excellent choice for the federal bench. But even if you read this entire post, nothing substitutes for reading Liu’s writings or watching his testimony for yourself. That is how I reached the conclusion that Liu deserves an up-or-down vote in the Senate and ought to be confirmed.

Liu’s nomination has been stalled by Republican senators for more than a year. Today, he appears yet again before the Senate Judiciary Committee. When the committee once again approves his nomination and sends it to the Senate floor, leadership should schedule a vote, defy any GOP threats to filibuster, and get this most talented of judicial nominees confirmed at last.