ConfirmThem

That's good news, and so is this:

http://balkin.blogspot.com/2007/01/update-on-sixth-circuit-litigation.ht...

The three judge panel on the 6th Circuit selected to hear oral arguments in the NSA surveillance program case on Wednesday will consist of Judges Alice Batchelder, Ronald Gilman, and Julia Smith Gibbons.

My sense is this is a pretty good panel for the government to have gotten. Batchelder and Gibbons are solid judicial conservatives, Gilman is a liberal.

Here's hoping we win one for the good guys with this panel.

McConnell's office reports Philip Gutierrez was confirmed 97-0 as District Court judge for the Central District of CA.

Three other District Court nominees have been placed on the Senate's executive calendar: O'Neil (E.D. CA); Baker (C.D. CA) and Frizzell (N.D. OK)

Wood's vote:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm...

Gutierrez's vote:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm...

My question is why are any votes taking place on the nine district court nominees who were on the Executive Calendar at the end of the 109th Congress? All could be confirmed quickly by unanimous consent. I think the Dems are requiring votes on them to create delays.

I'm glad ConfirmThem, a resource for following the judicial confirmation process, is coming out in favor of the government's right to engage in domestic wiretapping without FISA oversight. It's certainly consistent with ConfirmThem's avowed mission of "giving every American the opportunity to let their voice be heard in Washington."

Sorry, I now see that I was responding to a comment, not an official ConfirmThem post. My bad!

Did the Brownback issue ever get cleared up?

I had lost track on that for a while.

Or does he still have a hold on one of the nominees.

The Nominee he placed a hold on has not been renominated but sadly either have the other 2 Conservative Michigan District Court Nominees or more importantly the other 2 Conservative Michigan Circuit Court Nominees. I am not sure of the status of the so called deal between the Two Liberal Michigan Senators and The Whitehouse.

Incidentially Brownback missed both votes yesterday.

Althought I Generally support the Senator Brownback's positions, I truly question his judgement. Therefore, the Chief is one Conservative in the Mike Huckabees Camp for 2009 Presidential Election.

Chief of Smoke is correct, none of the Michigan nominees have been renominated yet so it would seem that something is up. Brownback has said he removed his hold on Neff on the condition that she be confirmed with an up-or-down vote, rather than by unanimous consent, so that he could document his disapproval of her. Unfortunately, I think the damage is done. His little stunt probably ruined Bush's chances of filling those five Michigan seats. Brownback foolishly gave Levin and Stabenow a reason to renege on their deal with the White House.

Yes, your bad.

I see right out of the box you decide to use the politically charged and entirely inaccurate description - "domestic wiretapping." As any intellectually honest and intelligent person would ackowledge, the NSA program is neither domestic in nature nor does it involve wiretapping. But hey, why let the truth get in the way of your wacky political agenda, right?? Do your homework before deciding to hate the president, his administration, and this country. At least then you might have a leg to stand on, or you might even decide to be on the right side of the fight (heaven forbid!).

An impressive rejoinder, both in its complete inaccuracy (every single sentence is wrong! A clean sweep!) and in its humorlessness.

But it was my mistake to attribute your opinions to ConfirmThem. This is my last post here; rant away if you like...

Good riddance...

wbbrown,

Just in case you ever return to ConfirmThem to learn something and end your lifelong ignornace, you may want to read this piece by Heather MacDonald on NSA surveillance:

http://www.city-journal.org/html/eon2006-02-02hm.html

Did anyone else catch Sen. Reid announce that the Senate will consider the three judicial nominees left on the Executive Calendar (O'Neill, Baker, and Frizell) tomorrow [Feb 1] at 11:45 am, ET?

I thought I did, I wanted to . . . ahem . . . confirm.

You are correct. Starting tomorrow at 11:45 am, there will be a vote first for O'Neill, second for Baker and third for Frizzell. It is listed on the Senate's executive calendar:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/executive_calendar/xclv.pdf

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/executive_calendar/xcalv.pdf

Here is Leahy's floor speech given just before the confirmations of Wood and Gutierrez:

http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200701/013007d.html

In the Leahy statement I linked to above, he makes it seem like he is perfectly willing to confirm Neff and the two other Michigan district court nominees if Bush ever renominates them. He doesn't mention Murphy or Kethledge.

Yes, Kethledge and Murphy are conspicuously absent. We'll see...