While you were (hopefully) sleeping last night, the Senate voted 51–44 to confirm the nomination of Cornelia Pillard, one of President Obama’s most controversial judicial nominees. Red-state Democrats had to make a choice at the vote shortly before 1 a.m.: Would they represent their constituents at home, or continue to vote in lockstep with the president under cover of night?
Senator Mark Pryor voted against confirmation, his very first vote against any of Obama’s nominees. He was already on the defensive at home, following JCN’s ad attacking his votes on judges, and is apparently now hoping that his constituents will overlook all of his other votes for Obama nominees. So we can count that a success.
Senator Mary Landrieu, on the other hand, is still working for the Obama administration rather than the folks back home, now voting to confirm Pillard, a nominee with radical views on abortion and virtually no understanding of the Constitution’s basic protections for religious liberty. That doesn’t sound like mainstream Louisiana values to me.
Democrat senators should take note: Their voters will want to know where their allegiances truly lie. Are they with the people, or with President Obama?