Keystone Progress has learned that a backroom deal by Senators Bob Casey and Pat Toomey may result in President Obama appointing a Tea Party lawyer to serve as judge on the Western Pennsylvania District Court[i] in Pittsburgh.
The nomination of David J. Porter is working its way to the White House as part of a deal between Pennsylvania’s two United States Senators. Senators Casey and Toomey are expected to jointly present Porter to President Obama any day now as part of a deal that will allow Casey to nominate people for 3 other vacancies.
Insiders say Toomey and the Republican Party are willing to make any deals necessary to get Porter on the bench. He represents the type of jurist the GOP hopes to place on the bench across the country.
Porter is not just a lawyer with a right-wing point of view. He is a right wing activist and leader in anti-choice, anti-marriage equality, pro-gun movements in Pennsylvania.
He is not just a member of the Republican Party. Porter is well-known in legal circles for being part of the Rick Santorum wing of the Republican Party. In fact, he has served as Santorum’s counsel.[ii]
Porter is currently the leader of the Lawyers Chapter of the Pittsburgh Federalist Society.[iii]Porter recently invited the president of the Center for Equal Opportunity (CEO) [iv] to lead a session of his Federalist Society chapter.[v] CEO is a right-wing legal group that is anti-immigrant, anti-affirmative action, and is even against bilingual education.[vi]
Who is David Porter?
· Porter is a contributor to the right-wing Center for Vision and Values (CVV)[vii] at Grove City College where he also serves a trustee. CVV’s upcoming conference features Rick Santorum; anti-gay firebrand Michael Geer (gay relationships are a “tragedy” and like incest)[viii]; right-wing radio host Michael Medved and Randall Wenger (attorney for anti-gay and pro-creationism law suits).
· Head of the Pittsburgh Federalist Society Lawyers Chapter (see above)
· Member of the Republican National Lawyers Association
· He is an outspoken conservative tea-partier who not only opposed JusticeSotomayor’s nomination, he helped found a coalition to oppose her.[ix]
· Porter has written extensively on why the ACA is unconstitutional.[x]
· He has represented the PA Republican Party on anti-environmental policy.[xi]
Keystone Progress has set up a petition page asking President Obama and Sens. Casey and Toomey to reject Porter as a potential federal judge because he lacks the temperament to be an effective jurist. Click here to take action.
One more example of why Democrats can’t be trusted any more than the Republicans can. The art of the deal for Democrats always seems to be selling out to the Republicans. We should vote for Democrats in November why?
Good luck, PA. Obama’s bi-partisan-y desires won’t let a little petition get in the way of his bi-partisan-y dedication.
I clicked the link and will do what I can to support opposition. The story on Porter is crystal clear. It is also clear why Toomey wants this guy. What is not clear is what Casey and Obama get out of this “deal.” As Imhotep and Susan point out, without that piece this story doesn’t make much sense, and is less than compelling. Surely this isn’t just about bi-partisanship, moderation, and reaching across the aisle. I thought Harry had overcome the 60 vote threshhold on judicial nominations. Are we back to trading one rightwing nut case for one sober, moderate, centrist Democrat.
The Moving Window shifts; and, having shifted,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to view a true Dem
Nor all thy Tears wash out the streaks and scum of the TP.”
BTW, how’s the race to unseat Toomey shaping up? What has my buddy Joe Sestak been up to? Or is Toomey a shoo-in as PA swirls around in the (toxic, polluted) toilet bowl.
Joe Sestak: a Democrat that every Republican will love.
I think this was part of that deal to get Obama’s judicial nominations passed.
Amen.