Judicial Nominations Process Debated Again
Fair Courts E-lert

Date of E-Lert – 03/11/08

Bibliographic Info:
Author: Lawrence Hurley
Source: Daily Journal Newswire
Date: 3/10/2008

Article questions "to what extent the [judicial nominating] system will cease to function" as the 2008 presidential election ensues. Republican senators are criticizing Democrats for failing to proceed on President Bush's nominations. Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the chairman of the judiciary committee believes "the Bush administration is to blame by not nominating consensus nominees." Leahy also accuses Republicans of deliberately holding up the process by their absences from judiciary committee meetings. Sarah Binder of the Brookings Institution noted that when opposing parties control the White House and Senate, "[j]udicial confirmation rates nearly always slow down in the final year of an administration."

Tags: Federal Judicial Selection