The Congress on Racial Equality plans to run advertising in John Edwards' home state of North Carolina challenging him to stop blocking the nomination of California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown to the federal appellate bench:

California Supreme Court Justice Janice Rogers Brown is among a half dozen of Bush's nominees to the appeals court who've been blocked in the Senate by Democrats. The Senate confirms all judicial appointments. Her nomination is opposed by groups including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

But the more conservative Congress of Racial Equality says Brown is a role model who deserves the promotion, and is challenging Edwards, a senator from North Carolina, on his home turf. The ad also names Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, a fellow Senate Judiciary Committee member who has helped block Bush's judicial nominees.

Senator Edwards wanted to get back to the issues, but he can't be happy about having to defend his position on Brown's nomination when under attack by CORE and Niger Innis. Tying him to Ted Kennedy also damages the Kerry/Edwards attempt to portray themselves as the true centrists in this campaign. While analysts have already debated whether Edwards will enable Kerry to make a dent in what had been a strong Republican state in the past, pointing out Edwards' (and Kerry's) obstinacy on judicial nominations will only make a North Carolina win that much less likely.

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