CNN Political Ticker

ACLU lines up behind Paul on new filibuster threat

(CNN) - The American Civil Liberties Union echoed Sen. Rand Paul's call to delay a Senate vote Friday on a controversial judicial nominee.

A day after the Kentucky Republican announced his intention to stall the nomination of David Barron to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, the ACLU backed his threat to stage a talking filibuster until President Barack Obama's administration turns over legal opinions on much-debated drone program to senators.

"The Senate should have access to all these opinions," said Chris Anders, senior legislative counsel for the ACLU.

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The ACLU has repeatedly urged senators to postpone voting on Barron's nomination until the White House makes all his legal opinions on targeted consumption available.

A former acting assistant attorney general for the Obama administration, Barron authored at least two controversial classified opinions justifying the potential use of a drone strike against American citizens.

While the Obama administration did make those two memos available to senators, the group says federal officials are playing a linguistic shell game.

The ACLU says the White House only posted opinions dealing with the targeting of U.S. citizens. That would leave at least seven other still unshared opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel dealing with the targeted killing program according to the group.

They believe at least one of those opinions was authored by Barron.

"The administration has maintained this word game designed to hide from senators, including the chairman of the intelligence committee, more legal opinions on the killing program," Anders told CNN.

Though the ACLU refuses to directly endorse or oppose any presidential nominations, the group said it's supportive of any tactic to delay a vote on the Barron nomination.

"No senator can meaningfully carry out his or her constitutional obligation without reading all of Mr. Barron's opinions on the drone program," Laura Murphy, director of the ACLU's Washington office, told CNN.