Following a meeting today between President Obama and Senate leaders regarding the upcoming Supreme Court nomination, Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., released a statement denouncing "some right-wing interest groups" that he says have "already begun a smoke and mirrors campaign against the president's nominee, whoever it may be."

"I trust that Republican senators, and all senators, will honor their constitutional obligation, and will elevate a nominee on his or her merits, not on the campaigns of any narrow-minded interest group," Leahy said. While the chairman didn't specifically call out any group, a committee spokesperson directed NationalJournal.com to a media report that focused primarily on the Judicial Confirmation Network.

Leahy's statement comes on the heels of a broader comment yesterday by White House press secretary Robert Gibbs about advocacy groups and the nomination process. "I don't think that the lobbying of interest groups will help," Gibbs said. "I think in many ways lobbying can -- and will -- be counterproductive."

In response to Leahy's statement, Judicial Confirmation Network executive director Gary Marx said that the senator "should be more concerned about Democratic senators who in the past have strongly heard our vision of the court following judicial restraint." He referred specifically to red state Democrats such as Ben Nelson, D-Neb., Mary Landrieu, D-La., and Kent Conrad, D-N.D., who voted to confirm John Roberts in 2005. These Democrats "have heard the arguments we've made before and have supported our view and the view of mainstream Americans that we need justices who follow judicial restraint, not judicial activism," Marx said. He added that Leahy voted in favor of Roberts as well.