This is a rebuttal to the letter written by Mr. Norm Foster, which was printed in the Dec. 24 edition of the newspaper.

In the letter, Mr. Foster, a self-proclaimed moderate, writes about judicial nominees and points out that no Republican minority has ever filibustered against a Democratic majority nominee approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

He makes it sound negative. Filibusters are not against the rules, having been used many times in the past by both political parties. His claim may, in fact, be true. He states that this is a precedent-setting action.

What he fails to state is the hundreds of judicial seats that were not allowed to be filled during the Clinton administration when Republicans controlled the House and Senate. They made sure that the seats remained open in case a Republican became president and they controlled the legislature. Guess what? They do now. Was that not also a precedent-setting situation? In many cases, there wasn’t even discussion, it simply didn’t happen.

I am also a moderate and understand that dirty political tricks are played on both sides of the aisle. Neither party has a claim to being the cleanest one. Many members, both Republican and Democrat, sell their votes daily for the right to collect favors later. Everything hinges on political spin and re-election.

If that’s the only way the Democrats could fight back, than it’s business as usual in Washington, as rotten as that is.

Bill Giasson, Lewiston