Friction increases over nomination

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ US Senator Tom Coburn says friction is increasing in Washington over the nomination of Oklahoma City attorney Jerome Holmes to a federal appeals court. <br/><br/>Coburn says Holmes'

Wednesday, July 5th 2006, 10:03 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ US Senator Tom Coburn says friction is increasing in Washington over the nomination of Oklahoma City attorney Jerome Holmes to a federal appeals court.

Coburn says Holmes' race is the reason some Democrats are concerned about his affirmative action views.

Coburn says Holmes will face strong opposition on the Senate Judiciary Committee from Democrats who don't want a conservative black judge as an appellate court judge because of his views on issues like affirmative action.

The Democratic spokeswoman for the committee rejected Coburn's assertion and compared it with a controversy in 2003 when some Republicans accused Democrats of opposing a judicial nominee because he was Catholic.

Holmes could be the first black to serve on the U-S Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

He responded to written questions from four leading Senate Democrats about his views on affirmative action, the death penalty, the racial composition of juries, school choice and his membership in an all-male club in Oklahoma City.