Judiciary
Bush Lags Clinton and Reagan in Judicial Confirmations
Posted Mar 14, 2008, 07:44 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
President Bush’s legal legacy is being stymied by a Democratic Senate that will probably approve few of his remaining nominees for federal judgeships.
So far Bush has won confirmation of 294 district and appellate judges, and his final numbers are likely to be below that of presidents Clinton and Reagan, Legal Times reports. Both of the former presidents had more than 370 of their candidates confirmed.
Curt Levey, the executive director of the conservative Committee for Justice, said he expects few additional confirmations before Bush leaves office next Jan. 20. "At the pace we're going, we will be lucky to get to 10” appellate confirmations, he told Legal Times.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., says it didn’t have to be that way. Reid told the Senate in February that the president had rejected an offer to confirm more than 84 nominees in exchange for the withdrawal of a controversial Justice Department nominee, Steven Bradbury.
Bush has also created controversy by failing to select nominees who have the backing of their home state senators. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., is refusing to move on nominees without such endorsements.
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Posted by J.D. - 7 months, 19 hours, 4 minutes ago
In other words, Democrats are willing to destroy the judicial branch for pure political gain.
Fortunately Republicans were willing to allow Clinton’s leftist appointments for the sake of government, even if it meant harm to conservative political principles.
But imagine if Republicans start acting like Democrats. The entire judicial branch will be a vacancy.
Posted by irwin Eisenstein - 7 months, 16 hours, 25 minutes ago
Appointment of judges and justices is important and leaves a presidential legacy (Adams did this in appointing John Marshall.). Bush has appointed two very conservative justices that will impact changes in law (not rule of law) for 20-30 years. Of course, Democrats and even Republican senators may oppose the appointment of judges at all levels that would impact their constituents. Realize that fewer than 70 cases were heard by SCOTUS on appeal and that means that the lower courts are Supreme. JD candidate 2008 (at 65 y.o.)