IF I COULD, THE CHARACTERIZATION THAT WAS JUST PRESENTED, IN A RECENT COLUMN IN THE NATIONAL REVIEW OF THE CONSERVATIVE PUBLICATION, HAS CHARACTERIZED THAT VIEW OF YOU AS A SMEAR THAT APPEARS MERITLESS. AND CHARACTERIZES YOUR APPROACH IN SENTENCING IN THESE CASES AS MAINSTREAM AND CORRECT. I WILL JUST REMIND MY COLLEAGUES , I WAS WATCHING TWO OF THE LARGEST, MOST ADVOCACY ORGANIZATIONS IN OUR COUNTRY. THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION. THEY HAVE SPOKEN UP IN SUPPORT OF YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND CAPABILITY. THE FOP LETTER. THE SENTIMENT WAS ECHOED BY I OCP. THEY BELIEVE YOU HAVE A DEEP UNDERSTANDING FOR THE COMPLEXITIES CONFRONTING THE POLICING PROFESSION AS YOU HAVE DURING YOUR TIME AS A JUDGE TO MAKE SURE OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SAFE, AND THAT THE INTERESTS OF JUDGES ARE SERVED. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THESE ORGANIZATIONS HAVING LOOKING CLOSE AT YOUR RECORD, DECISIONS WOULD HAVE TAKEN THOSE UNUSUAL DEPTHS TO BE FORCEFUL IN SUPPORTING YOU, IF IN FACT YOU HAVE SOMEHOW A DISTURBING RECORD OF CODDLING CHILD PORNOGRAPHERS OR BEING SOFT ON CRIME. IN FACT, YOUR RECORD DEMONSTRATES YOUR A EVENHANDED AND IMPARTIAL JUDGE. I CAN SEE THAT WHEN I LOOK AT CASES HE RULED ON, THEY INVOLVED VERY POLITICALLY CHARGED OR PARTISAN INTEREST. YOU HAVE DELIVERED RULINGS ON BOTH SIDES FROM PLAINTIFFS AND DEFENDANTS. MY REVIEW OF YOUR RECORD, YOU PUT ANY PERSONAL VIEWS OR CONCERNS TO THE SIDE. HE BASED HER DECISIONS ON THE ARGUMENT OF THE PARTIES, THE FACTS AND THE RECORDS. THE LAW AT PRESIDENT AND THE WELL REASONED YOU HAVE SHOWN TO ME A JUDGE STRIVING TO MAKE EVENHANDED DECISIONS BASED ON FACTS AND LAWS NOT OF SOME CARICATURE AGENDA. WE HAVE RECEIVED A UP A OUTPOURING OF YOUR SUPPORT. VARIOUS GROUPS SENT LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF YOUR NOMINATION. IT IS NO SUPPORT TO ME THAT YOUR EXPERIENCE, TEMPERAMENT EXPIRES -- INSPIRING STRONG SUPPORT FROM SOME OF THE BEST IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK IT IS WORTH HIGHLIGHTING THAT AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE WRITTEN TO US ARE INCLUDED WELL RESPECTED CONSERVATIVE AND REPUBLICAN LAWYERS AND JUDGES TO AGREE WITH MY CHARACTERIZATION, YOU ARE A EVENHANDED AND IMPARTIAL JUDGE. WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM 24 CONSERVATIVE LAWYERS WHO HELD POSITIONS IN REPUBLICAN ADMINISTRATIONS, WHO ARE WELL KNOWN FOR THEIR LEGAL VIEWS CORRODED THIS COMMITTEE TO URGE YOUR SPEEDY CONFIRMATION. THEY PRAISED YOUR CHARACTER AND INTELLECT AND CALLED YOU "TRULY EXCELLENT PERSON". I WOULD LIKE TO FOCUS ON THE WAY THAT THESE CONSERVATIVE LAWYERS CHARACTERIZED YOUR JUDICIAL DECISION-MAKING, WHICH IS AFTER ALL THE COURT ISSUED BEFORE US. WHETHER YOU ARE THE SORT OF JUDGE THAT THE DISTRICT THAT SHOULD BE ELEVATED TO THE SUPREME COURT. THEY NOTED IN THIS LETTER, IN 10 YEARS ON THE BENCH, AS A DISTRICT AND THE COURT OF APPEALS, JUDGE JACKSON HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THOUSANDS OF CASES RUNNING THE FULL RANGE OF FEDERAL LAW. THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 500. I THINK IT IS MORE THAN THAT. OPINIONS WRITTEN DURING A TIME BUT HAVE DEMONSTRATED COMPLETE DEMAND OF A LEGAL SUBJECT MATTER. A AND EVENHANDED APPROACH, A FINE ABILITY TO EXPRESS YOURSELF WITH FORCE. THEY ALSO DEMONSTRATED ANOTHER ATTRIBUTE ESSENTIAL FOR A JUDGE, A SENSE OF EMPATHY FOR THE SITUATIONS OF OTHERS. JUDICIOUS AND EVENHANDED. THESE CONSERVATIVE LAWYERS WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO KNOW THAT YOUR JUDICIOUS AND EVENHANDED, AND RECOMMENDED TO THE SUPREME COURT WITHOUT RESERVATION, DESPITE HAVING NOTING THEY DIFFERED WITH YOU CONCERNING SOME POLITICAL AND BIPARTISAN ISSUES. THEY ARE NOT ALONG. E. JUDGE GRIFFIN, IN A LETTER TO THIS COMMITTEE, THEN FOLLOWED UP TO YOUR INTRODUCTION YESTERDAY. A JUDGE APPOINTED BY GEORGE W. BUSH. SUPPORTS YOUR NOMINATION. I WAS STRUCK BY HIS DESCRIPTION OF YOUR CHARACTER AND TRADITIONAL APPROACH. NOW QUOTING FROM HIS TESTIMONY YESTERDAY. HE TOLD US HE WENT ON. A DISPENSABLE FEATURE OF THE REPUBLIC AND CONSTITUTION CREATED IS AN INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY OF JUDGES WHO TAKE AN OLD NOT TO A PRESIDENT, NOT TO A PARTY BUT TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND TO GOD THAT THEY WILL BE IMPARTIAL. HE CONCLUDED, THAT YOU JUDGE JACKSON HAVE DEMONSTRATED AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THAT BOAT. VOTE. HE TOLD THIS COMMITTEE HE IS CONFIDENT OF HIS DECISION. WE CAN AND DO AT TIMES HAVE FEARS POLICY DISAGREEMENTS, BUT WE ALSO WORK TOGETHER TO TRY TO FIND A WAY THAT THE LAWMAKERS AND INDIVIDUALS TO RESPECT EACH OTHER. I THINK IT IS A PERSONAL SOURCE OF PRIDE WHEN SOMEONE WHO REALLY DISAGREES ON ONE ISSUE IS ABLE TO AGREE WITH ME ON ANOTHER. I THINK IT IS GRATIFYING. TO KNOW THAT A JUDGE WHO IS LITERALLY SET IN REVIEW. I THINK IT WAS THEIR FIRST ONE. HERE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS CLOSELY REVIEWED YOUR DECISION, AND AS A CIRCUIT JUDGE IS SET IN REVIEW. YOUR WORK OVER YEARS AS A DISTRICT, OPINIONS AS A DISTRICT JUDGE AND HAS PRAISE FROM THE EVENHANDED AND NONPARTISAN WAY YOU HAVE APPROACHED JUDICIAL DECISION-MAKING. COULD YOU SHARE WITH ME WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU TO HEAR THAT SOMEONE LIKE JUDGE GRIFFIN HAS SUCH CONFIDENCE THAT YOU WOULD MAKE A EXCELLENT MEMBER OF OUR HIGHEST COURT?   