{"id":294088,"date":"2018-12-22T08:17:05","date_gmt":"2018-12-22T13:17:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=294088"},"modified":"2018-12-22T08:17:05","modified_gmt":"2018-12-22T13:17:05","slug":"senators-question-judiciary-nominee-over-membership-in-extreme-knights-of-columbus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2018\/12\/senators-question-judiciary-nominee-over-membership-in-extreme-knights-of-columbus\/","title":{"rendered":"Senators question judiciary nominee over membership in ‘extreme’ Knights of Columbus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Details:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have questioned a candidate for the federal bench over his membership of the Knights of Columbus, with some calling the group\u2019s Catholic views on abortion and same-sex marriage \u201cextreme.\u201d Senators also questioned if belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases \u201cfairly and impartially.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senators Mazie Hirono (D-HI) and Kamala Harris (D-CA) raised membership of the Knights as a point of concern during the Senate Judiciary Committee\u2019s consideration of Brian C. Buescher, an Omaha-based lawyer nominated by President Trump to sit on the United States District Court for the District of Nebraska.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0written questions<\/a>\u00a0sent to Mr. Buescher by committee members on December 5, Sen. Hirono stated that \u201cthe Knights of Columbus has taken a number of extreme positions. For example, it was reportedly one of the top contributors to California\u2019s Proposition 8 campaign to ban same-sex marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hirono then asked Buescher if he would quit the group if he was confirmed \u201cto avoid any appearance of bias.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Knights of Columbus does not have the authority to take personal political positions on behalf of all of its approximately two million members,\u201d Buescher responded.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf confirmed, I will apply all provisions of the Code of Conduct for United States Judges regarding recusal and disqualification,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Kathleen Blomquist, spokesperson for the Knights of Columbus, told CNA that the senators\u2019 questions echoed the kind of anti-Catholicism seen in previous generations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were extremely disappointed to see that one\u2019s commitment to Catholic principles through membership in the Knights of Columbus\u2014a charitable organization that adheres to and promotes Catholic teachings \u2014 would be viewed as a disqualifier from public service in this day and age,\u201d Blomquist told CNA.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read on.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Details:\u00a0 Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have questioned a candidate for the federal bench over his membership of the Knights of Columbus, with some calling the group\u2019s Catholic views on abortion and same-sex marriage \u201cextreme.\u201d Senators also questioned if belonging to the Catholic charitable organization could prevent judges from hearing cases \u201cfairly and impartially.\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":294091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11920],"tags":[507,11190],"class_list":["post-294088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anti-catholicism","tag-knights-of-columbus","tag-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nSenators question judiciary nominee over membership in 'extreme' Knights of Columbus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Details:\u00a0 Members of 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