Six 86-ed

This is from the Democratic Party, but it's not out of bounds.
At least our Senators should explain their opposition to Six. If not, it looks like petty partisanship and that Moran and Roberts have been sucked into the dysfunctional divisions of D.C.

Roberts has been a promoter of bipartisanship in the past, but it's hard to find signs he believes in it anymore.


COLUMN: Steve Six, Kansas deserve better than the petty politics of Moran and Roberts

I was deeply disappointed to hear that Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran were blocking the nomination of their fellow Kansan Steve Six for the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals. Former judge and Attorney General Six received the highest rating from the nonpartisan American Bar Association's Standing Committee on the Judiciary and the support of both Republicans and Democrats.

Opinion editors from across the state have echoed the thoughts of fair-minded Kansans saying that Six's "professionalism and judgment have been praised by 29 state attorneys general, Republicans as well as Democrats. Six’s supporters have included five current and former deans of the University of Kansas School of Law and Deanell Reece Tacha, the Reagan appointee and former Kansan he would replace on the 10th Circuit. In his own letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee calling for Six’s confirmation, former Republican Attorney General Robert Stephan said Six had never let politics interfere with his responsibilities. Too bad the same cannot be said about Roberts and Moran."

What do Moran and Roberts think they are doing? They certainly aren’t looking out for our best interest. As a result of their actions, there may not be another Kansan nominated to take Judge Tacha's place, and our representation on this key federal court will be weakened.

I have to agree that Moran and Roberts are playing politics.They are catering to the extreme members of the Republican Party. They care more about appeasing anti-choice groups like Operation Rescue in Wichita than in doing what’s right for Kansas.This is a sad day for our state. Attorney General Six is more than qualified to serve on the appeals court. Unfortunately, as long as our senators are driven by petty politics, Kansans will never get the representation we deserve.

Joan Wagnon
Chair, Kansas Democratic Party