About That Other "Unqualified" Nominee ...
By Dave II Posted in District Courts — Comments (13) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
When Michael Wallace had his hearing on Tuesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee, another nominee whom the ABA tried to derail also finally got a hearing. That nominee was Connecticut Superior Court Judge Vanessa Lynne Bryant, whom Bush nominated to the U.S. District Court of Connecticut on January 25, 2006.
Here's an account of how seriously the Dems are taking her ABA rating. So much for the "gold standard."
Business meeting results
by Mose
All 8 of the district court nominees on the agenda were voted out of committee on a voice vote, along with the two US attorney nominees. There was apparently no discussion of, or votes on, the Circuit Court nominees.
What a joke
by Matthew Friendly
It's really a shame for Keisler. He should have been treated better than this.
Business meeting results
by WVH
Great news!
1. SJC managed a quorum!
2. They voted to confirm someone!
3. They're all going home!
Ed Whelan reports
by cboldt
"I provided great leadership to break Democratic obstruction. 100% of the nominees we voted on were approved."
Which is evidence of a point that I've held for years, but have a hard time convincing other of - the Senate has erected a defacto 60 vote hurdle for judicial confirmations, and the Republicans and the President have capitulated to this new paradigm. This represents a serious imbalance of power.
Message to the SJC
by WVH
"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately… Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go!"
Hat Tip: Oliver Cromwell
AP reports some nominees approved
by cubsfan
Michigan judicial nominees clear U.S. Senate committee
By KEN THOMAS Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) _ Three federal judicial nominees from Michigan cleared a key Senate committee on Friday and are expected to win confirmation to the bench.
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the nominations of Grand Rapids lawyer Robert Jonker, Berrien County Circuit Judge Paul Maloney and Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Janet Neff to the U.S. District Court for Michigan's Western District.
(There's more to the story, but no explanation about the COA nominees)
Sickening
by BoBo
I am mad about all the spineless Republicans on the SJC and all their useless rhetoric. Once more, they have let the Democrats win on judges. Even stalwarts like Kyl, Sessions, Cornyn, Brownback and Coburn caved in when the Democrats applied a little pressure. After all the lip service since April, I am thoroughly sickened.
I am by far the maddest about Keisler. The Republicans in the White House and on the committee totally fouled up his nomination. It never should've been paired with those of The Controversial Five. Their taint may have destroyed his nomination.
When the names of The Fatal Five were sent back to the White House this past summer, only Randy Smith and Michael Wallace should've been renominated with Smith renominated in Myers'old slot. That way, both Keisler and Smith would've been likely confirmed in September with only a hearing for Wallace being contentious.
But noooooooooooooooooooooo! Just to be antagonistic, poisonous nominees like Boyle, Myers and Haynes were renominated for conservative window dressing. The end result: everyone else's chances were ruined. Smith remained radioactive, Keisler became radioactive and Livingston, Murphy and Kethledge slid into oblivion. Great planning White House (NOT)!
To make matters worse, the Republicans on the committee turned into spineless jellyfish in order to avoid dealing with The Fatal Five. They spent so much time running away from The Fatal Five by manufacturing fake absences, they didn't have enough time to vote Keisler out of committee or give Livingston, Murphy and Kethledge hearings.
Who do I blame for this catastrophe? The White House for ever renominating Boyle, Myers and Haynes, and the SJC Republicans for their panic attacks over the possibility of a filibuster.
At the present time, all is lost for the rest of the 109th Congress. There is no way that Livingston, Murphy or Kethledge can be confirmed now in the lame-duck session of the 109th Congress. They haven't even had hearings yet. The only hope for Keisler is if his name is not sent back to the White House today or tomorrow. Then there is an extremely slight possibility that he could be voted out of committee and confirmed during the 10 day lame-duck seesion in November. I'm not holding my breath, though, since the Democrats may feel even more powerful after the midterm election.
It is my supreme hope that now the White House has seen the light and will withdraw Boyle, Myers, Haynes and Wallace ASAP. I feel sorry for Wallace, but his hearing got screwed up too much by the weakness of the Republican senators and their lack of a united front at his hearing. Not enough Republicans came out to support him. Specter, the guy who should'v been leading the Republican attack on the ABA, wasn't even there to question their officials. Wallace now is just as tainted as Boyle, Myers and Haynes. His only hope is if he is recess-appointed and proves himself a noncontroversial judge.
UGH!!!
Who do I blame for this catastrophe? The White House for ever renominating Boyle, Myers and Haynes, and the SJC Republicans for their panic attacks over the possibility of a filibuster.
How about Frist, who made it implicitly clear that he will not touch any candidate that Harry Reid says they will filibuster?
How about the gang of 7, who made it implicitly clear that they will allow filibusters to succeed?
Under those limitations, it gave the Dems effective control over the SJC as far as I'm concerned. Why bust butt to get people out of committee if it's obvious the Senate will ignore them?
Pathetic
by Robert1
What a bunch of craven cowards, from the WH on down. Judges are a fundamental element in moving this country in the RIGHT direction, and they completed caved. BoBo is absolutely right - in hindsight, renominating Boyle, Haynes, Wallace, and Myers was a distraction and a blunder if you don't have the rocks to push them through.
So we'll have to start over next term, and start by dumping the Fatal Five, since we don't have enough men on the SJC to push them through.
Good for Blumenthal.