US District Judge Leslie Southwick comes before the Senate Judiciary Committee today on his nomination to move up to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. When Judge Southwick was nominated to the District Court, his approval was unanimous. But now, the Democrat left has attacked him for being “against” homosexuals and blacks.

Both charges have to do with just two of the more than 7,000 decisions he participated in as a Judge on the Mississippi Court of Appeals. In both cases, he joined the opinion, but did not write it.

In one, the appeals court approved a trial court decision granting custody of a child to the father, rather than the mother. After a review of the mother’s living conditions, the trial court ruled for the father. However, the opinion used two words, “homosexual lifestyle,” which sent the Democrat left into a frenzy. This is a frivolous objection, unless one has the prejudicial view that mothers should ALWAYS win custody disputes.

In the other case, the appeals court upheld a decision of the state employment agency’s decision not to fire a woman who used the “N” word once, who apologized for doing so, and whose apology was accepted. Unless one accepts the view that every slight, however small, belongs in court being settled by lawyers, this was an eminently reasonable decision.

In short, the left wants to tar Judge Southwick for using common sense in his prior judicial work. That may be a hanging offense for the left, but it is exactly what most Americans would expect from members of the federal bench.

UPDATE – BREAKING NEWS: The Democrats have now pulled the vote on Judge Southwick, and in response the Republicans have threatened to “shut down the Senate” over the issue of Democrats blocking all judicial nominees by Bush – even ones like Southwick who were unanimously approved to the US District Court just a year ago.