The Senate Judiciary Committee dealt a blow to cultural morals last week by approving David Ogden's nomination for deputy attorney general, meaning the full Senate could vote anytime.
Sen. Arlen Specter, the committee's ranking Republican, reportedly told National Public Radio he had never seen so much opposition from voters — 11,000 phone calls, letters and other contacts with the committee.
Unfortunately, Specter joined the 13 Democrats in supporting Ogden. The other five Republicans on the committee voted against Ogden.
Ogden opposes restrictions on abortion and pornography, and has represented Playboy and Penthouse in court. He has filed a brief before the U.S. Supreme Court in support of child pornographer Stephen Knox, who possessed sexually explicit videos of children. Ogden argued that, because the children's genitalia were partially covered by clothing, such exploitation is protected by the First Amendment.
Committee member Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, said that while he usually defers to a president's nominees, he was troubled by Ogden's representation of the pornography industry and other controversial clients, the Legal Times reported.
"Mr. Ogden has consistently taken very liberal positions over a long period of time on issues that are very important to me," Hatch said. "The pattern here is so consistent and the record is so long that it does give me pause."
Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family Action, said that rather than depoliticizing the Justice Department, the new Democratic administration is re-politicizing it.
"They take our breath away the more we learn about these people," Minnery told The Associated Press. "This is Left-wing politicization of the Justice Department. This is not a Justice Department that looks like America."
TAKE ACTION
Four nominees to the Justice Department — including David Ogden — are expected to go before the Senate soon. Please ask your senators to oppose all four nominations.
