Second Ad Demands Answers From Senate Judiciary Democrats

Susan Jones | Morning Editor | Published: Mar 31, 2004

Second Ad Demands Answers From Senate Judiciary Democrats

(CNSNews.com) - Remember 'Memogate'? The Center for Individual Freedom does. Today, the government watchdog group unveiled the second in its series of advertisements intended to focus attention on the content of memos written by Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is focused on how those memos fell into Republican hands; but conservatives say that emphasis is misplaced. Conservatives insist the real story is what the memos said - indicating unethical or possibly illegal behavior by Democrats.

The Center for Individual Freedom said its new ad features a "mug shot" lineup of three Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats - Sens. Patrick Leahy, Edward Kennedy, and Dick Durbin -- who are at the heart of the controversy.

"Isn't it time to investigate the real issues of Memogate?" the ad asks.

In a press release issued Wednesday, CFIF's Executive Director Jeffrey Mazzella said, "The time has long passed for Senators on both sides of the aisle to break their silence on the content of these memos.

"Allegations of cash for judges; possible attempts to fix pending cases; what more do Senators need to call for an investigation? And what more does the normally watchful media need to begin asking tough questions on behalf of the public?"

Only a handful of the more than 4,760 memos have been released to the public, CFIF noted. But according to one former staffer who read some of the memos, "the ones made public are the least indicting."

"The public has a right to know whether Senate Democrats engaged in any illegal activity in their campaign to obstruct judicial nominees," CFIF said. And until an investigation into Memogate's real issues is completed, the cloud of corruption will continue to hang over the U.S. Senate," Mazzella added.

CFIF's "Memogate Lineup" is running this week in The Hill and The Washington Times .

The first ad, published last week, questioned whether Sen. Kennedy obstructed justice in the most important civil rights cases in more than 25 years (the University of Michigan affirmative action cases).

"Senators from both parties, especially those on the Judiciary Committee, want this issue to go away, but it isn't going to," said Mazzella.

"The Center and others who care about fairness in the process will not let up until all questions of impropriety and potential criminal wrongdoing are answered.

"We are committed to exposing the actions of Senate Democrats and their special-interest puppet masters," Mazzella concluded.

The Center for Individual Freedom describes itself as a constitutional advocacy group that works to expose and eliminate the corruption and manipulation that plagues the judicial confirmation process.

See Earlier Stories:
Judiciary Democrats Want Criminal Probe of Published Memos (5 Mar. 2004)
Former GOP Staff Attorney Says 'Profit Motive' Drives Judiciary Battles (20 Feb. 2004)

Second Ad Demands Answers From Senate Judiciary Democrats