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Bush Appoints Judge Pryor to 11th Circuit Court

Aired February 20, 2004 - 14:46   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, some news coming out of the White House. Senior White House correspondent John King has more for us about a Bush judicial appointment -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, for the second time in a month, the president is using his power to give a recess appointment for one of his nominees that have been blocked in the Senate by Democrats who oppose the nomination. In this case, the president has given a recess appointment today to Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor. Now, Bill Pryor will take a seat on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, that is one level below the Supreme Court. He has been the Alabama attorney general for some time. You see him here on Capitol Hill earlier when his nomination was up in the Senate, but filibustered by the Democrats, one of several Bush appointees who never came to a vote on the Senate floor because of a Democratic filibuster.

He is known as a very conservative attorney general. One of the reasons many Democrats opposed him was because of a public statement issued during his political career critical of the Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion rights. Already some Senate Democrats are criticizing the president for using this power of a recess appointment.

Now, Judge Pryor will be able to stay on the bench until the next Congress convenes, that is early next year. So his appointment is for about 10 months. And again, this is the second time in a month the president has done this. Judge Charles Pickering of Mississippi was given a seat on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by the president in mid-January -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John King with the latest developments, thanks so much from the White House.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired February 20, 2004 - 14:46   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Now, some news coming out of the White House. Senior White House correspondent John King has more for us about a Bush judicial appointment -- John.
JOHN KING, CNN SR. WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Kyra, for the second time in a month, the president is using his power to give a recess appointment for one of his nominees that have been blocked in the Senate by Democrats who oppose the nomination. In this case, the president has given a recess appointment today to Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor. Now, Bill Pryor will take a seat on the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, that is one level below the Supreme Court. He has been the Alabama attorney general for some time. You see him here on Capitol Hill earlier when his nomination was up in the Senate, but filibustered by the Democrats, one of several Bush appointees who never came to a vote on the Senate floor because of a Democratic filibuster.

He is known as a very conservative attorney general. One of the reasons many Democrats opposed him was because of a public statement issued during his political career critical of the Roe v. Wade decision, legalizing abortion rights. Already some Senate Democrats are criticizing the president for using this power of a recess appointment.

Now, Judge Pryor will be able to stay on the bench until the next Congress convenes, that is early next year. So his appointment is for about 10 months. And again, this is the second time in a month the president has done this. Judge Charles Pickering of Mississippi was given a seat on the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by the president in mid-January -- Kyra.

PHILLIPS: John King with the latest developments, thanks so much from the White House.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com