Editorial Boards across the Nation are Urging a Vote on the Loretta Lynch Nomination for Attorney General

Media 03.24,15

Washington ––As the nation awaits the long overdue confirmation vote on Loretta Lynch for Attorney General, newspaper editorial boards across the country have called for an immediate vote on the nominee.

Given the unprecedented delay in this vote, editorial boards in at least 17 states have weighed in, including the following:

  • Six of the leading daily newspapers in North Carolina have called on both of the state’s Senators to reverse their opposition to Lynch, who would be the first North Carolinian Attorney General.  The Raleigh News & Observer called the opposition from Senators Burr and Tillis “crass.”
  • Editorial boards that are openly criticizing the tenure of Eric Holder are still urging the Senate to confirm Lynch as his successor.  The Aiken Standard in South Carolina wrote that it was “time to bump Holder, name attorney general” and the Tulsa World in Oklahoma said “if for no other reason, we would think Republicans would want to move ahead on the Lynch nomination because until his successor is confirmed, Holder — a constant source of GOP aggravation — remains in office. But the Lynch confirmation is on high center.”
  • The Louisville Courier-Journal took aim at the leadership of its senator—Mitch McConnell—on stalling the vote, saying, “the bus driver here is Majority Leader McConnell who initially had planned to hold a vote on Ms. Lynch’s confirmation but now is stalling it. He’s trying to force more Democrats to agree to an abortion measure stuck onto an unrelated bill on human trafficking, which is already illegal.”
  • The Concord Monitor in New Hampshire pointedly asked Senator Kelly Ayotte, a former state Attorney General herself, to step up her advocacy saying, “we trust that Ayotte, who knows something about breaking barriers as an attorney general, will nudge her fellow Republicans in the correct direction.”

Below is a collection of editorials calling for the confirmation of Loretta Lynch:

National

Bloomberg View: Senate’s treatment of Loretta Lynch another strategic misstep

New York Times: The Loretta Lynch Confirmation Mess

Washington Post: It’s time to confirm Loretta Lynch

California

Los Angeles Times: Senate has no reason to delay a vote on Loretta Lynch any longer          

Colorado

Boulder Daily Camera: Another new low for Congress

Illinois

Chicago Tribune: Waiting for Loretta Lynch

Peoria Journal Star: Our View: Lynch delay just one more indictment of worst Congress ever

Iowa

Des Moines Register: Lynch deserves confirmation vote

Kentucky

Courier-Journal: Untangle the Senate

Maryland

Baltimore Sun: Another Senate stalemate?

Massachusetts

MetroWest Daily News: Loretta Lynch deserves a Senate vote

Mississippi

Jackson Clarion Ledger: Waiting for Loretta Lynch

New Hampshire

Concord Monitor: Another day, another game in the Senate

New Jersey

NJ.com: Politics as usual: Loretta Lynch stuck on the GOP treadmill

New York

Albany Times Union: Congress’ latest hostages

Newsday: Nominee hostage of partisan fray

New York Daily News: Senate Republicans’ odious Loretta Lynch stall continues

North Carolina
Asheville Citizen-Times: Lynch nomination should move forward

Charlotte Observer: Time to approve Loretta Lynch

Fayetteville Observer: Raleigh must not copy federal dysfunction

News & Observer: Sens. Tillis, Burr crassly partisan in opposing Loretta Lynch

News & Record: Confirm Lynch now

Winston-Salem Journal: Burr and Tillis should quit obstructing and help confirm Lynch

Oklahoma

Tulsa World: Senate needs to confirm Lynch, approve human trafficking bill, stop playing politics

Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Delay of Justice: The Senate should vote on Lynch, up or down

South Carolina

Aiken Standard: Time to bump Holder, name attorney general

The State: Time to approve Loretta Lynch

Tennessee

Chattanooga Times Free Press: Failure to govern: Political apathy can’t go on

Texas

Baylor Lariat: Editorial: Stop using Lynch to play political games

Fort Worth Star Telegram: Congress is playing politics

San Antonio Express News: Confirm Loretta Lynch

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

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