Quiet Deal On Obama Judicial Nominees Unfolds In Senate After Prolonged GOP Blockade

[Tx4obama]

Source: AP (via HuffPo)

WASHINGTON — After a monthslong blockade, Senate Republicans have agreed to let at least 19 of President Barack Obama's non-controversial judicial nominees win confirmation in the waning days of the congressional session in exchange for a commitment by Democrats not to seek votes on four others, according to officials familiar with the deal.

Among the four is Goodwin Liu, a law school dean seen as a potential future Supreme Court pick, whose current nomination to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco has sparked strong criticism from Republicans.

As part of the arrangement, the Senate has approved 10 judges in the past few days without a single dissenting vote. One of them, Albert Diaz, had been awaiting confirmation to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., since clearing the Judiciary Committee in January.

The agreement was worked out between Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, with the knowledge of the White House, officials said. Spokesmen for the two Senate leaders declined comment.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/20/obama-appointee-deal_n_799313.html

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Note: There have been 12 judicial nominations confirmed since Thursday evening.
So, we have 'at least 7 more' on the way!

Here's a link to the list of judicial nominations confirmed and those that are still in limbo:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_federal_judges_appointed_by_Barack_Obama

[monmouth]

1. This is a crap deal. Goodwin Liu is a potential Supreme Court

pick.. Throw out the best and get what?...

[alfredo]

3. He can still pick him for the SC.

[Tx4obama]

6. Also ....

All the nominations that are not confirmed before January 5th Obama will have to renominate.
And then if Lui isn't confirmed by the first recess of the next congressional session Obama can do a recess appointment on Liu, the recess appointment would last until the end of the 112th cong. session (almost two years).
The senate would still need to confirm him to make it permanent, but in the meanwhile Liu would put some Federal Court experience under his belt and onto his resume`.

[alfredo]

7. Maybe by then we can win back a supermajority.

[usregimechange]

10. Enough time for SCOTUS grooming

[alfredo]

14. Watch as the GOP alienates another minority group.

[monmouth]

8. My bad, I thought he would automatically be shut out of any further appts...n/t

[Tx4obama]

9. Nope. and also...

Liu was originally nominated on February 24, 2010.
Then Liu nomination was sent back to the White House by the Senate before they went on recess in August (August 9 - September 12),
and as soon as the senate returned Obama renominated Liu again and sent the nomination right back to the senate on September 13, 2010.

So, I am sure Obama will renominate Liu again when the new congressional session starts January 5th.

Obama is NOT going to give up on getting Liu confirmed :)

[monmouth]

11. Glad to hear that, many thanks..

[alfredo]

13. Naw, I think Obama should try again, and again.

[Kingofalldems]

2. Kick and rec

[Laelth]

4. Good news. Picking judges is something Obama is good at. n/t

-Laelth

[napi21]

5. I wonder if these were all part of the deal Obama made with

McConnell when he did the tax deal? Such a turn around in the Pubs of the Senate makes me think there was a lot more negotiation going on behind the scenes than we've heard.

[groundloop]

12. I was wondering the same thing about DADT...

We'll probably never know