Daschle, Leahy block nominees, create a crisis

To the editor:

I am outraged at the partisan games that Sen. Tom Daschle and Sen. Patrick Leahy have been playing with President Bush's judicial nominees. They have created a crisis in the federal courts by leaving these important positions vacant indefinitely. Bush has nominated over 100 men and women of distinction and accomplishment. They are solidly within the mainstream of American legal opinion. And all of the pending nominees thus far have received either a "well-qualified" or "qualified" rating from the American Bar Association.

Judges help ensure that the innocent remain free and the guilty are punished. Judges make decisions that help safeguard the stability of the marketplace and address the grievances of those who have been wronged.

Because of the number of vacancies in our nation's courts, Americans are being forced to wait for justice, and the burden on sitting federal judges is growing heavier.

I expect more than partisan politics from our nation's leaders. Daschle and Leahy need to end their stonewalling and confirm Bush's judicial nominees.

JOHN S. SMITH

Jonesboro, Ill.