Federal Judge Nominee Jack McConnell has Widespread Support

Federal Judge Nominee Jack McConnell has Widespread Support

It came as no surprise that the main lobbyist for the nation's largest corporations would come out against the judicial nomination of a man who has spent his life defending the little guy against the excesses of these same corporations.

John "Jack" McConnell was nominated to Rhode Island's federal bench by President Obama on March 10, 2010.  Today, he faces a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee where he will likely be confronted by Republican members who will toe the corporate line. 

This criticism is heavy-handed and unfair.

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McConnell has spent his whole career litigating on behalf of the little guy.  He took on the big asbetos companies when workers found themselves poisoned as a result of working with contaminated piping for years.  He took on big tobacco for their decades of deceit and undermining of Americans' health care.  He took on the lead paint companies who knowingly allowed their contaminated paint to be put into homes where children would be exposed to toxins causing them permanent brain damage.  McConnell has been the kind of lawyer we need in the judiciary: someone who has consistently shown compassion, a keen intellect and a deep yearning for justice.

In addition, McConnell has a long history of community, civic and political involvement - just like many federal judges before him (Judge Selya was campaign manager for Sen. John Chafee and a business litigator; Judge Smith was the former staff director for Sen. Lincoln Chafee and a labor and employment litigator).  McConnell has been chairman of the board of Trinity Repertory Theatre, vice-chairman of the homeless organization Crossroads RI, chairman of the Providence Tourism Council and a leading supporter of his Catholic parish: St. Michael's church in South Providence. 

For their part, the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce said in a statement that "Mr. McConnell is a well respected member of the local community, leading important civic, charitable and economic development institutions including Crossroads Rhode Island, the Providence Tourism Council and Trinity Repertory Theatre.”

In addition, many conservatives, business leaders and Republicans have issued shows of support for McConnell's nomination, including the following:

• David Whalen, CEO of A.T. Cross

• Scot Jones, CEO of Groov-Pin

• Merrill Sherman and Jim DeRentis, BankRI

• Howard Sutton, Publisher of the Providence Journal

• Adam Hamblett, Cox Communications

• John Palumbo, RI Monthly

• Jon Duffy, Duffy & Shanley

• Sally Lapides, Owner of Residential Properties

• Gina Raimondo, Pt. Judith Capital

• Donna Brady, Citizen’s Bank

• Edye Demarco, Merrill Lynch

• Juana Horton, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

• Anne Nolan, CEO of Crossroads

• Republican Mayor of Warwick Scott Avedisian

• Former Republican Attorney General Jeff Pine

• Former Republican Party Vice-Chair John Harpootian

• Former RI Supreme Court Chief Justice Jospeh Weisberger

• RI Superior Court Justices Netti Vogel and Frank Darigan

• Barbara Hurst, RI Public Defender’s Office

• Col. Dean Esserman, Chief of the Providence Police

• Roger Williams University School of Law Dean David Logan

• Representatives from both sides of the Tobacco lawsuit: Washington Governor Christine Gregoire and Tobacco Company lawyer Meyer Koplow

In a time when judicial nominations have become stalled for months, and in many cases, years, let us hope that the United States Senate has the honesty and the professionalism to allow for a full "up or down" vote on McConnell's nomination.  Republicans demanded as such for President Bush's nominees to the Courts and one ought to hope that they maintain this same judicial philosophy for McConnell.