The Tuesday Southwick Update
By AndrewHyman Posted in Southwick — Comments (9) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Paul Mirengoff at Power Line: "If the Democrats don't change course, we can treat the Southwick affair as 'super-precedent.'"
National Review has an editorial today titled Character Test:
The battle over the nomination of longtime Mississippi judge Leslie H. Southwick to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is a test of character — not of Judge Southwick’s character, which appears sterling by any measure, but of the character of Senate Democrats and Republicans....It is doubtful that there has ever been a weaker, more disgraceful case made against any lower-court nominee. Senate Republicans should muster the gumption to fight this vilification of an outstanding judge and an outstanding man.
There's an article in Human Events by Wendy Wright titled Will Dems Shun Southwick?
The Politico asks: GOP slowdown in Senate Judiciary Committee?
And finally, for now, Wonkette tastelessly jokes about the death of the Chief Justice. That was a very bad joke, and Wonkette now joins the likes of Ann Coulter whom we previously criticized for her bad joke about Justice Stevens.
I second that slowdown
by cubsfan
The Politico article asks whether the slowdown is in retaliation for the Dems' treatment of Southwick, but McConnell says no.
I wish he'd said something like "What goes around comes around. Get used to it."
tongue in cheek
by cubsfan
My last comment was only half-serious. I'm not to the point yet of advocating shutting down the SJC - kind of like shooting ourselves in the foot with regard to future confirmations.
I think the GOP ought to ask
by AndrewHyman
I think the GOP ought to ask for a vote in the SJC, and if Southwick doesn't get of Committee then the GOP ought to file a discharge motion in the full Senate. If there is any hint of a filibuster of the discharge motion, then the Gang of 14 ought to weigh in. If that doesn't work, then the GOP ought to shut down the Senate. IMHO.
Two DJ nominees on Thursday agenda
by Lonestar
Two DJ nominees have been added to the SJC's Agenda for Thursday's Business Meeting:
Richard A. Jones to be United States District Judge for the Western District of Washington
Sharion Aycock to be United States District Judge
for the Northern District of Mississippi
No COA nominees.
Lonestar - appeasement
by BoBo
By placing Jones and Aycock on the SJC business meeting agenda, Leahy is trying to lure Republicans to attend the meeting. I hope though that no Republicans show. They should tell Leahy that they won't attend unless votes for Southwick, Keisler or Elrod are planned. Two district court nominees are not worth one COA nominee.
preferrably votes for Keisler or Elrod
by zendari
I'd like to get something confirmed before August, and it won't be Southwick.
zendari #7: prospective confirmations
by Outsider
Do you even faintly realize that August commences in 5 hours, the Senate adjourns in 2 or 3 days, and that neither Keisler nor Elrod have even been voted out of the SJC. Forget it! Perhaps the Dems. will confirm some of the 5 DJ nominees they've been holding on the Executive Caqlendar as bait for fools. Maybe you'll then be duly appreciative.
Sometimes reading posts here is akin to going to the Fantasyland part of Disneyland.
Days elapsed since last CCA confirmation: 83
follow-up to #8
by Outsider
Oh yeah, you said "something". It will be some relatively worthless DJ's. How ultimately important!
The only possible solution is a change in the Senate majority. Offhand I can think of a few possibilities: life support vegetables (1-Johnson), homicide committers (1-Kennedy), 80plus year old liberals (over 3), crooks (at least 3: Feinstein, Dirty Harry Reid, Durbin), general sleaze (Schumer), virtual traitors (quite a few).
Not a bad idea. If the committee is not processing 1 nominee monthly, what is its purpose?