Senators should oppose Pickering nomination

Politicians spoke out across the nation recently to commemorate Martin Luther King Day and to expound on the present condition and future prospects of race relations in the United States. President Bush delivered perhaps the simplest truism about the state of race in America: “Even though progress has been made, there is more to do.” We in Maine hardly needed reminding.

Events of the past few months have propelled Maine into the forefront of the national race debate. The mayor of Lewiston called on the Somali residents to cease moving their families to his city. Portland’s schoolchildren were bombarded by a leaflet campaign characterizing our citizens as “savages.” Finally, a hate group, perhaps sensing a favorable climate, held a “rally” in support of race-based hatred.

The recent actions of some national figures have further emphasized the need for leadership on civil rights. Trent Lott stunningly revisited the Presidential campaign of 1948 by lamenting the defeat of segregationist candidate Strom Thurmond. Shortly thereafter, once-defeated Charles Pickering was renominated to serve on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, presumably to the delight of cross burners everywhere. Last week, President Bush announced his opposition to affirmative action as practiced by the University of Michigan’s admission office.

Fortunately, Maine has two people perfectly positioned to stand in the way of these troubling developments. We elected Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins for episodes just like this. They are perceived as wildcard moderates by their own party and as potential party-switchers by the other.

And now, in this moment of misdirection by the president, Sens. Snowe and Collins can be responsible for righting our wayward ship. Because of their position within the Republican Party and because of the promise they have made to Maine, now is the time for them to act. Maine is blessed with many capable of support and outcry, but Maine has only two votes in the Senate and two voices in Republican power circles – both theirs.

With this in mind, last month we wrote a letter requesting that they do more than just decry Sen. Trent Lott’s words supporting our country’s segregationist past. We asked that they stand up and call for his resignation from his leadership post. We asked that they stand up for all the people of Maine regardless of race, creed or religion and fulfill their promise to be fair minded and independent voices in the increasingly partisan environment of the Washington establishment.

We assumed that Sen. Lott did not represent their views or the positions that they believe the Senate should promote, and therefore it would be natural for them to join other Republican Senators in calling for his resignation. Instead, they responded with exasperating timidity by remaining silent on the issue of Sen. Lott resigning.

We deserve more. We work with and represent the most diverse region in Maine, the city of Portland, and are well versed in the realities of ongoing race-based challenges. Portland is a vibrant mix of people from dozens of countries, countless backgrounds and many races. This city is the most diverse in Maine and, therefore, we in Portland are especially tuned in to what our leaders do to fight for the cause of equality. However, people across the state understand the value of diversity and increasingly Maine is becoming a place that promotes diversity. We expect our leaders to do the same.

In the coming weeks, Snowe and Collins will again have an opportunity to lead. The nomination of U.S. Judge Pickering will again come before the Senate – and he should again be defeated. His zealous activism in reducing the mandatory sentence of a Mississippi cross-burner highlights a dubious pattern of anti-civil rights leanings in his record. The staggering number of occasions that the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (the same court on which Bush wants to place him) reversed his decisions based on egregious violations of established principles of law, further suggests that he is simply a bad judge.

They may have missed an opportunity on the Lott test, but their chance to lead has not passed. Their votes can stop the Pickering nomination. Their voices can balance the stream of rhetoric from the far right. Their actions can represent Maine’s commitment to supporting people of color. Now is the time to fulfill their promise.

Today we call on them to come out against the nomination of Judge Pickering and announce their opposition before his name comes to the floor.

We call on them to show their commitment to the diversity of this great state and the tolerance of our entire country.

Winston McGill is the newly elected President of the Portland Chapter of the NAACP. Rachel Talbot Ross is the first vice president of the Portland Chapter of the NAACP and is chair of the political action committee. Ethan Strimling is the state senator from Portland and is an executive board member of the Portland chapter of the NAACP.