This is a follow-up to my Compass a view days ago about President Bush's nomination of liberal Democrat Anthony Trenga to the federal court in Alexandria. I made one error. I thought the Judiciary Committee would approve Mr. Trenga's nomination next week.What was that again about electing a Republican President in order to get conservative judges....
In fact, the committee will meet later today, Thursday, for an executive business meeting, so that it can approve Mr. Trenga's nomination then. Then Mr. Trenga will be swiftly confirmed by the full Senate before the Senate adjourns this Friday. So when a Republican president nominates a liberal Democrat to the federal bench, Harry Reid's Senate will act fast!
In the meantime, the President's four pending nominations to the Fourth Circuit, including Virginia district judge Glen Conrad, and the President's other nomination to the Alexandria federal court, that of David Novak (a Republican prosecutor that the Democrats don't like because he is tough on terrorists) will lapse, and these seats will be filled by Obama if he wins the election.
I'll say it again: It is a scandal that the Bush Administration is giving away judicial appointments to the other side without demanding concessions in return (such as the confirmation of David Novak to the same court or one or more of the administration's Fourth Circuit nominees). It amounts to political malpractice, and is an insult to those of us who labored in the vineyards to elect this President, because, among other reasons, we care deeply about judicial appointments (apparently more than the folks in the White House do). And professional Republicans and officeholders in Washington wonder why grassroots activists beyond the beltway are unhappy with our party and its leadership?
Ken Cuccinelli for Attorney General 2009
1 comment:
The General Assembly has not been filling all the state court judgeships, either, to the discredit of every single member.
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