WP: Obama continues to lag when it comes to judges

[usregimechange]

SOURCE: Staff reports | The Washington Post - April 7, 2010


The Obama administration has a good shot at setting a couple of modern indoor records for a president halfway through his first term: fewest number of judicial nominees and, with strong assistance from Senate Republicans, fewest number of judges placed on the bench.

As of the Senate's return Monday, President Obama will have officially nominated 56 judges for the federal district and appeals courts (not counting one for the Supreme Court), according to Capitol Hill data. That's fewer than either Bill Clinton (77) or George W. Bush (98) had in mid-April of their second years.

Even though the Democrats had a supermajority in the Senate of 60 votes until three months ago, the Senate has confirmed only 18 of Obama's nominees, far fewer than half those confirmed by the Democratic-controlled Senate in mid-April in Clinton's first two years (46, not counting a Supreme Court pick) or the (barely) Democratic majority Bush dealt with (43).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/06/AR2010040603842.html

[TexasObserver]

1. His lackadaisical attitude about judicial appointments is truly disturbing.

[usregimechange]

2. We are missing a historic opportunity, mostly.

[TexasObserver]

3. He should have gotten on top of it immediately.

This is a subject the president has really failed to treat properly.

[Bluebear]

6. .

[longwinded]

4. Obama judicial recommendations

Well, Democratic senators (or representatives/governors/party reps, if a state has no D's as senators) have made a fair number of recommendations for vacancies; some of the recommendations have been public for over a year. To its credit, the Obama administration has picked up the pace of nominations of late ( compare with http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=177524&mesg_id=178473 ), so there is some hope that they'll act quickly. Realistically, they have about 2 months to get these nominations to the Senate if they expect them to have any chance of getting confirmed during the 111th Congress. If nothing else, they should put forward any recommendations that have been made by Democratic senators that are vulnerable in November (e.g. Arkansas and Colorado).

Arkansas
o Recommendations by Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor: http://lincoln.senate.gov/newsroom/2009-03-12-3.cfm ; http://lincoln.senate.gov/newsroom/USAttorneys-USMarshals.cfm ; http://pryor.senate.gov/newsroom/details.cfm?id=320883
o Eastern District of Arkansas (James M. Moody's old seat): Christopher J. Heller, Denise Reid Hoggard, Amelia Mosley Russell
o Western District of Arkansas (2 vacancies; 3 recs for 1st vacancy, 1 rec for 2nd vacancy): Caroline M. Craven, Susan O. Hickey, Carlton D. Jones (replaces James S. Hudson, Jr., who was initially recommended but died in May 2009); P.K. Holmes III

Connecticut
o Obama recently nominated Judge Robert Chatigny for one of the two Connecticut seats currently open on the 2nd Circuit. Susan L. Carney, deputy general counsel at Yale, looks to be the current front-runner for the second Connecticut seat on the 2nd Circuit: http://www.ctlawtribune.com/getarticle.aspx?ID=36483
o Other possibilities for a Connecticut judgeship: Connecticut Supreme Court Justice Joette Katz, acting U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy, Aaron S. Bayer

Colorado
o Recommendations in June 2009 by Sens. Michael Bennet and Mark Udall: http://markudall.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=3
o District of Colorado (2 vacancies): William Martinez (nominated February 24, 2010), Christina Habas, Morris Ben Hoffman, Richard Brooke Jackson, Lael Montgomery, John F. Walsh

District of Columbia:
o Recommendations by D.C. House Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton: http://www.mainjustice.com/2010/02/08/white-house-vetting-opr-chief-for-federal-judgeship/
o District Court for D.C. (4 vacancies): Mary Patrice Brown; Robert L. Wilkins; James “Jeb” Boasberg

Florida
o The Florida Federal Judiciary Nominating Commission made recommendations to Sen. Bill Nelson in July 2009: http://www.miamiherald.com/2009/07/21/1150406/finalists-named-for-us-attorney.html
o Southern District of Florida (1 vacancy): Jerald Bagley, Robert N. Scola, Jr., Kathleen M. Williams

Georgia
o Recommendations by Democratic members of Georgia's congressional delegation (Georgia's two senators and governor are R's): http://www.dailyreportonline.com/Editorial/News/singleEdit.asp?individual_SQL=8/27/2009@34761
o Northern District of Georgia (4 vacancies): Amy M. Totenberg (nominated March 17, 2010), J. Antonio DelCampo, Leigh M. May, Albert M. Pearson III, Wayne M. Purdom, Constance C. Russell, Wendy L. Shoob, V. Natasha Perdew Silas, Gail S. Tusan, Gerald R. Weber Jr., David J. Worley

Hawaii
o Recommendations in February 2010 by Sens. Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2010/Feb/26/ln/hawaii2260349.html
o District of Hawaii (1 vacancy): Judge Leslie E. Kobayashi (51 yo, rumored to be front-runner), Judge Sabrina McKenna, U.S. public defender Peter Wolff

Illinois
o Recommendations by Sen. Dick Durbin: http://www.chicagoiplitigation.com/2009/08/articles/legal-news/senator-durbin-sends-northern-district-judicial-nominees-list-to-president-obama/ ; http://durbin.senate.gov/showRelease.cfm?releaseId=322611
o Northern District of Illinois (4 vacancies, recommendations in August 2009): Sharon Coleman and Gary Feinerman (both nominated February 24, 2010), Edmond Chang, Susan Cox, Thomas Durkin, Mary Rowland, Maria Valdez
o Central District of Illinois (2 vacancies, recommendations in February 2010): Colin Bruce (Assistant U.S. Attorney), Judge Sue E. Myerscough (previously nominated by Clinton for the same district, but Republicans blocked her), Judge James Shadid, Judge Ronald Spears

Louisiana
o Recommendation in April 2009 by Sen. Mary Landrieu: http://landrieu.senate.gov/releases/09/2009427C07.html
o Eastern District of Louisiana: Michael Bagneris

Maryland
o Recommendations in December 2009 by Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin: http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2009-12-12/news/bal-md.nominees12dec12_1_district-judges-longest-serving-judge-district-court
o District of Maryland (3 vacancies, 1 recommendation per vacancy): Judge James K. Bredar (52 yo), Judge Charles B. Day (52 yo), Judge Ellen Hollander (60 yo)

Michigan
o Recommendations in June 2009 by Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow: http://levin.senate.gov/newsroom/release.cfm?id=314560
o Eastern District of Michigan (2 vacancies): Judge Mark Goldsmith (nominated February 4, 2010), Judge David Allen

Minnesota
o Recommendation in November 2009 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar: http://www.startribune.com/local/68913992.html
o District of Minnesota: Judge Susan R. Nelson

Mississippi
o Recommendations will be made by a committee consisting of Democratic members of Mississippi's congressional delegation (i.e. Bennie Thompson, Travis Childers, Gene Taylor) and local Democratic leaders: http://www.neshobademocrat.com/main.asp?SectionID=7&SubSectionID=302&ArticleID=18487
o 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ("Mississippi seat" vacated by Rhesa Barksdale): Judge James Graves ( http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=860771699262546935# ) is rumored to be the front-runner ( http://www.mslitigationreview.com/2010/02/articles/5th-circuit-2/justice-james-graves-remains-5th-circuit-frontrunner )
o Southern District of Mississippi (1 vacancy): Carlton Reeves rumored to be a possible recommendation

Missouri
o Recommendations in February 2010 by Sen. Clair McCaskill: http://www.dolanmedia.com/view.cfm?recID=569818
o Eastern District of Missouri (2 vacancies; Obama has already nominated Audrey Goldstein Fleissig for one of the vacancies): Judge Nannette Baker (52 yo), Judge Judge Thomas C. Mummert III (59 yo), Judge Angela Turner Quigless (50 yo)

New York
o Recommendation in February 2010 by Sen. Chuck Schumer: http://schumer.senate.gov/record.cfm?id=322146
o Southern District of New York (2 vacancies): Daniel Alter (if nominated by Obama, Alter would be first openly gay male nominee for a federal judicial post)

North Carolina
o Recommendations by Sen. Kay Hagan: http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=229 ; http://hagan.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=351
o Eastern District of North Carolina (1 vacancy, recommendations in July 2009): Allen Cobb, Jennifer May-Parker, Quentin Sumner
o Western District of North Carolina (1 vacancy, recommendations in October 2009): Max Cogburn Jr., Robert Ervin (son of former Senator Sam Ervin), Calvin Murphy (Hagan has since withdrawn this rec)

Oregon
o Recommendations in July 2009 by Sen. Ron Wyden: http://blogs.wweek.com/news/2009/07/28/ron-wyden-adds-marco-hernandez-as-the-sixth-name-to-judges-list/
o District Court of Oregon (2 vacancies): Thomas Balmer, Marco Hernandez (nominated by G.W. Bush to same position, but no action taken by Senate), Henry Kantor, Karsten Rasmussen, Michael Simon, Steven Wax

Texas
o The recommendation process here has been ugly. The two Republican senators are trying assert their "right" to make recommendations rather than letting the a Democratic congressional delegation perform the duty (as is customary if there is no senator/governor of the same party; see Alabama and Obama's nomination of Abdul Kallon): http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/columnists/gary_martin/Nominations_focus_of_Texas_delegation_wrangling_.html
o In the meantime, let's assume Democratic recommendations take precedence: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/63710137.html
o Southern District of Texas (3 vacancies): Marina Garcia Marmolejo, Diana Saldaña
o Western District of Texas (2 vacancies): Javier Alvarez, Catherine Torres-Stahl

Virginia
o Recommendation in September 2009 by Sens. Mark Warner and Jim Webb: http://warner.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=90b8c909-536b-470d-9e11-ed4f6abc31bf&ContentType_id=0956c5f0-ef7c-478d-95e7-f339e775babf
o Eastern District of Virginia: John A. Gibney

West Virginia
o Recommendation in October 2009 by Sens. Robert Byrd and Jay Rockefeller: http://www.register-herald.com/local/x546330689/Nick-Casey-recommended-for-federal-judgeship
o Northern District of West Virginia: Nick Casey

Wisconsin
o Recommendations in January 2010 by Sens. Russ Feingold and Herb Kohl: http://www.wisbar.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=News&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=89976
o 7th Circuit Court of Appeals ("Wisconsin seat" vacated by Terence Evans): Judge Lynn S. Adelman (U.S. District Court for Eastern District of Wisconsin; he's 70 yo...), Professor Victoria F. Nourse, Judge Richard J. Sankovitz (Milwaukee County Circuit Court), Dean A. Strang

Federal Circuit
o Kathleen O'Malley was recently nominated to a vacancy on the court, but another vacancy will occur next month.
o The short list for the nomination that ultimately went to O'Malley also included judges Jeremy Fogel, Gregory Sleet, and Patti Saris: http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1202437343598
o Other possibilities include Stanford Professor Mark Lemley and Apple IP chief Chip Lutton

[Bluebear]

5. He's only been in office 15 months!!!1

:silly:

[Echo In Light]

7. (inserts Hanna-Barberaesque sound effect)