Leahy Apologizes to Sessions on Sotomayor Hearing Announcement

[jefferson_dem]

Leahy Apologizes to Sessions on Sotomayor Hearing Announcement
By Seth Stern, CQ Staff

The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee offered an uncharacteristic apology for not speaking with the panel’s ranking Republican before announcing the start date for Sonia Sotomayor’s Supreme Court confirmation hearing.

“I apologize in not being more diligent in trying to reach you,” Chairman Patrick J. Leahy , D-Vt., told Jeff Sessions , R-Ala., at a committee markup on Thursday.

Sessions had been attending a military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery on June 9 when Leahy announced on the Senate floor that confirmation hearings for Sotomayor would begin on July 13. Sessions said then that Leahy had left a message at his office, but when Sessions called back, he missed the chairman.

Sessions has repeatedly expressed disappointment at learning about the schedule from media reports rather than from Leahy directly. In hindsight, Leahy said, he should have held off until after speaking with Sessions.

But Leahy appeared unmoved by Sessions’ request that he delay the start date for Sotomayor’s hearing and “slow down a bit” with the committee’s other legislative business so staff could focus on vetting the nomination. And it remains unclear whether the apology, which Leahy first extended to Sessions in private, will help repair relations with the committee’s new ranking member.

Sessions warned Thursday the handling of the Sotomayor nomination was “causing collegiality to be eroded.”

“I’m hopeful that we’ll yet end up with a good solution,” Sessions said.

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http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000003141507

[Cha]

1. Not that it's tit for tat but

the republicons have never been collegial.

[Thrill]

2. Like I posted yesterday. Leahy will cave on this and change the date

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8461245&mesg_id=8461270

[cali]

5. except he didn't.

Leahy, despite DU "conventional wisdom", rarely caves. There's a reason he's considered, by the pukes, the most partisan dem Senator, and the hardest to work with.

[Thrill]

7. He will

[babylonsister]

3. Sorry, but! Ha! nt

[Trocadero]

4. sounds like sarcasm

[Justice]

6. Would it have made a difference?

I suspect Sessions would have run out to the media and whined about the date no matter what. For the regular joe sitting at home, you think - its more than a month to prepare - that seems like plenty of time, what is this guy whining about?