VICTORY – AT 8:48 A.M. ET:  Reason and decency won out in the U.S. Senate yesterday, when enough Democrats defected to defeat the nomination of a deeply offensive individual to head the Justice Department's civil rights division.  From Fox:

Several Senate Democrats rebelled Wednesday to join Republicans in blocking President Barack Obama’s controversial pick to lead the Justice Department’s civil rights division.

The rejection of Debo Adegbile in a 47-52 vote marks the first time that the Senate has thwarted one of Obama’s nominees since Democrats changed filibuster rules in November — a historic change that was supposed to make it easier for the majority party to move nominations.

Vice President Joe Biden presided over the vote in case he would need to break a tie but that wasn’t necessary. The nomination needed 51 votes to advance and seven Democrats voted against the White House and their leadership.

Adegbile drew opposition and scrutiny from national law enforcement organizations as well as a bipartisan group of senators for his involvement with Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981. Adegbile previously worked for the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund, which worked in support of Abu-Jamal’s efforts to overturn his death sentence.

Obama called the failed vote a “travesty based on wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant.”

“Those who voted against his nomination denied the American people an outstanding public servant,” Obama said.

COMMENT:  The objection to Adegbile was not based on the fact that he represented Abu-Jamal.  There is wide recognition that every defendant deserves a defense, and, if convicted, an appeal of the conviction and the sentence.  It was based on some of Adegbile's obnoxious behavior outside the courtroom, including inflammatory, unproved charges of racism. 

Also, the insensitivity shown to Officer Faulkner's widow was a major political blunder.  She was patronized by the Senate Judiciary Committee, which approved Adegbile's nomination, and was not permitted to testify.  She was active in organizing opposition to Adegbile, and she succeeded.

President Obama's statement shows his usual lack of common sense, and his political tin ear.  He could have at least addressed the concerns about Adegbile, and possibly spoken with the widow.  Actions, and lack of actions, have consequences.

March 6, 2014