[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 10 (Monday, March 11, 2002)]
[Pages 363-364]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks During a Meeting With Judge Charles W. Pickering, Sr., and an 
Exchange With Reporters

March 6, 2002

    The President. I nominated a very good man from Mississippi named 
Charles Pickering to the appellate bench, and I expect him to be 
confirmed by the United States Senate. I think the country is tired of 
people playing politics all the time in Washington. And I believe that 
they're holding this man's nomination up for political purposes. It's 
not fair, and it's not right.
    And a lot of people in Mississippi agree with me. Republicans agree 
with me, but so do a lot of good Democrats, starting with the attorney 
general of the State of Mississippi. He is here to lend his support for 
Charles Pickering. As well, the former Governor, Governor Winter, has 
expressed concern about a process that would malign a man such as him 
and expects him to be confirmed. Frank Hunger feels the same way. These 
are people in Mississippi who know the man for what he is, a man who 
respects the rights of all citizens and a man who not only respects the 
rights of all citizens, who has acted on that strong belief, a man who's 
a fine jurist, a man of quality and integrity.
    And I hope the Senate stops playing politics. This is not good for 
the Senate, and it's not good for the country. They've got to get him on 
the floor and get him a vote and get him in. He'll do a fine job.

Judge Pickering's Nomination

    Q. Can we ask you a couple questions about his nomination, sir?
    The President. Go ahead.
    Q. Do you agree with your Press Secretary that if the judge's 
writings and actions of 30--20, 30, 40 years ago should come into play, 
then so should the civil rights record of some of the very Senators of 
30, 40 years ago? And is that a threat?

[[Page 364]]

    The President. Here's what I believe: I believe this man should be 
confirmed. I know him--I've known him for a long time. But more 
importantly, people from Mississippi have known him. Democrats and 
Republicans know him. And he needs to be confirmed, Ron [Ron Fournier, 
Associated Press]. This is a good, good, honorable citizen, and they're 
playing politics with him up there.
    Q. Did you support in 1950----
    The President. Hold on----
    Q. Mr. President, you describe this as playing politics. But many 
Democrats believe there are serious civil rights issues involved; among 
them that when he was a member of the State Senate, Mr. Pickering voted 
twice to support the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission, which was a 
segregationist spy agency recognized by the State.
    The President. All the allegations have been laid out. He has been 
confirmed unanimously by the United States Senate in the past. This is a 
good, honorable man who should be approved by the United States Senate. 
Otherwise we wouldn't have a Democrat attorney general, a very popular 
former Governor, Al Gore's brother-in-law, all of whom have stood up and 
said, the man needs to be confirmed.
    Thank you all.

Note: The President spoke at 10:52 a.m. in the Oval Office at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Mike Moore, State attorney 
general, and former Gov. William Winter of Mississippi; and Frank W. 
Hunger, former Assistant Attorney General, Civil Division, and brother-
in-law of former Vice President Albert Gore, Jr. Judge Pickering's 
nomination to be U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit was submitted 
May 25, 2001.