More than Twenty retired generals, admirals and other U.S. military leaders signed a letter to Senators Arlen Spector (R-PA) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) expressing concerns over the nomination of William Haynes to the federal bench. "What compels us to take this unusual step is our profound concern about the role Mr. Haynes played in establishing - over the objections of uniformed military lawyers - detention and interrogation policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Guantanamo which led not only to the abuse of detainees in U.S. custody but to a dangerous abrogation of the military's long-standing commitment to the rule of law," the letter says.

Human Rights First's statement about Haynes is here.

People for the American Way also have a Haynes page and say "Keep Haynes off the bench." He's the "poster boy" for our interrogation policies. See Sen. Edward Kennedy's op-ed in the Washington Post.

Nominations do not get much worse than this. Haynes does not come anywhere close to the commitment to fundamental rights and the principle of separation of powers that we all expect from the federal courts. He would be a poster boy on the 4th Circuit for denying the rule of law, and he should not be confirmed.

TalkLeft's coverage and opposition to Haynes' nomination is here and here.