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More Parsky Watch Parsky Watch - The Magazine Take the Parsky Watch IQ Test Visit the Parsky Watch Store	Back to Parsky Watch archives United States Justice Foundation vs. Parsky/Boxer Parsky Watch #30 November 4, 2002 PARSKY SUMMONS A CASE OF THE COURTHOUSE BLUES Control of the U.S. Senate is at stake in tomorrow’s election. Whichever party gains control will determine whether President Bush is able to appoint the conservative judges he desires to, or whether Senate Democrats led by Patrick Leahy and our own Dianne Feinstein will continue to kill the nominations of anyone even remotely conservative. Speaking of Dianne Feinstein, the election may very well decide the fate of the ill-fated Parsky Commission concocted by Gerry Parsky and his good friends Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. Even if the Democrats keep control, the Parsky Commission may be doomed. The United States Justice Foundation (USJF) is suing the Parsky Commission, which selects nominees for California district courts. On October 25 Parsky himself was served with a summons to appear in court on November 18. The suit contends this Parsky-Feinstein-Boxer creation violates two federal laws: the Federal Advisory Commissions Act (FACA) and the Government in the Sunshine Act. In short, these laws require any federal commission that advises the president must operate in the open. The Parsky Commission conducts it inquisition in complete secrecy, which is understandable because they grill nominees with questions so inappropriate that not even Patrick Leahy would toss them out in a hearing. A cursory reading of these laws makes plain it will be tough for Gerry to convince a judge that his clandestine inquisition does not violate the law, and his unholy alliance with Feinstein and Boxer will be stopped by an injunction and ultimately disbanded. [If you’re interested, you can peruse FACA here: http://www.epic.org/open_gov/faca.html] Here’s a refresher for those who haven’t followed this story closely: Traditionally, U.S. Senators of the party holding the White House submit district judge and U.S. Attorney nominees to the President for consideration. In states (like California) where neither senator is from the President’s party, that task falls to congressmen of that party. This has been the practice for decades, and California has plenty of GOP congressmen who’d be happy to step into that role. Gerry Parsky dispensed with that working tradition and invited Democratic U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer to join him in usurping that function by creating Federal Judicial Qualifications Committee, otherwise known as the Parsky Commission. The Parsky Commission’s four subcommittees – corresponding to California’s four judicial districts – are composed equally of Parsky and Feinstein/Boxer appointees. Consequently, no district judge nominee is sent to President Bush unless approved by those two ferociously liberal senators. Some of our readers have objected to our objections regarding the Parsky Commissions. “We have to work with Feinstein and Boxer because they’re the ones in power,” these quislings mewl – a collaborationist mentality that would have served them well in Vichy France. Furthermore, these committees operate in complete secrecy – which is why the USJF has filed a federal lawsuit charging the Parsky Commission with violating the Federal Advisory Committee Act and the Government in the Sunshine Act. Whether Republican control of the U.S. Senate makes the Parsky Commission irrelevant, or the USJF suit renders it inoperative, the days of this senseless and destructive alliance between Gerry Parsky and two partisan liberals would seem to be numbered. Have fun in court, Gerry!