Judge Nominations

* Re “Clinton Losing Fight for Black Judge,” July 7: The Senate’s failure to even hold hearings on any of President Clinton’s nominations for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals is a disgrace. People who honor fairness need to wake up to the true nature of the Republican-controlled Senate. Does anyone seriously believe that none of four African American jurists put forward by the president is qualified?

Sen. Jesse Helms of South Carolina has blocked these nominations without a murmur of protest from his GOP colleagues. They allow it because, as Helms admitted, nobody is paying attention and they will not be called to account for their silent assent to bigotry. These judges are not the only ones harmed by Republican malfeasance. Minority nominees have rarely been confirmed by this Senate. And all Americans pay a dear price when this kind of inequity is visited on our system of justice by cynical lawmakers. Remember in November.

MICHAEL FINNIGAN

Encino

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Your article indicates that James A. Wynn Jr. is probably the last in a succession of African Americans proposed for this position. I believe that this, more than any other issue, brings into focus Clinton’s true and lasting legacy. In prior administrations, the mission has been to get the most-qualified, best and brightest people appointed to the critical posts in the administration. Admittedly, they were usually chosen from the president’s party. In the Clinton administration there appears to be an additional qualification--a hyphen. The priority in selecting candidates seems to be to get not the best and brightest but someone who is (fill in the blank) and might be able to get by in the administration of the task.

Among the many is Bill Richardson, who has mis-administered the Energy Department to our great detriment. I believe history will reveal that most of Clinton’s appointments were made without any concern for the ability of the appointee.

BILL GARNETT

Rolling Hills Estates