It’s Not Just Merrick Garland: Republicans Are Blocking So Many Nominees It’s Caused a Judicial Emer

[applegrove]

It’s Not Just Merrick Garland: Republicans Are Blocking So Many Nominees It’s Caused a Judicial Emergency
by Jay Michaelson at the Daily Beast

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/05/16/it-s-not-just-merrick-garland-republicans-are-blocking-so-many-nominees-it-s-caused-a-judicial-emergency.html

"SNIP............


Over the past 16 months, the Senate has confirmed 17 lifetime-appointment judges. In the same period in 2007-08, the Democrat-led Senate confirmed 45; in 1991-92, when Democrats controlled the Senate and George H.W. Bush was president, it confirmed 82. In other words, the GOP Senate is confirming just 38 percent as many judges as the Democratic 2008 Senate, and 21 percentof the Democratic 1992 one.

And it’s not just judges. The Congressional Research Service found that President Obama has had the fewest presidential nominees confirmed in decades: 198, compared with 345 for George W. Bush, and 268 for Bill Clinton.

For judicial confirmations, Baker lay the blame squarely on Sen. Charles Grassley, the chair of the Judiciary Committee who—in part because of the Garland fiasco—is now locked in a fierce re-election battle.

“Sen. [Patrick] Leahy [D-VT] worked hard in the last two years of Bush’s presidency to continue processing nominees,” she said. “Grassley is not. He is not just the judiciary chair for the Republican Party—he’s the judiciary chair for the whole country. It’s indefensible.”



...............SNIP"

[Ohioblue22]

1. They want to pack the courts if a con is elected all the while complaining that the dems are trying

To pack the courts

[applegrove]

2. They do nothing but project. Not one part of the GOP narrative is true.

[billhicks76]

3. Well Maybe If Democrats Grew A Pair And Nominated Far Left Candidates

Then the GOP would be happy with moderate Democrat choices and take what they could get. Moving the center to the Right as the Clinton's have done has only eviscerated us.

[Ash_F]

4. This has personally caused me problems

[GETPLANING]

5. I mention this to conservatives I know and they say,

"I know, isn't it great?"

[Chicago1980]

6. Feel free certain Sanders supporters to either

not vote, go third party, or write in Bernie's name, so that President Trump can install a SCOTUS justice and other federal judges who'd have lifetime appointments.

I'm not trying to be me, but I have no problems calling people out who don't see the bigger picture.

[kairos12]

7. Rethugs don't care because they see any proposal or

candidate put forth by a Democrat as illegitimate.

[Bill USA]

8. the GOP are plutocrats, pure and simple. They are out to undermine all vestiges of responsible,

effective democratic (for, of and by the people... even mere commoners) government. welcome to the Republican Dystopia.

[Angry Dragon]

9. The republicans have no desire to help govern

they are more interested in getting jobs and making others live as they want them to

[LS_Editor]

10. It's undeniably racist and obstructionist politics.

But Garland is a terrible choice for the left, and he is pretty pathetic as far as political moves go. Obama should have selected someone like the current US AG. Senate has already confirmed her once, she is extremely qualified, and the politics of denying a black woman a seat on the Supreme Court during a presidential election year would be a far more dangerous agenda for the GOP to pursue than keeping some old white guy off it. Obama screwed up a defining moment of his presidency.

[libodem]

11. Been telling you for years

That this an obstructive bitch of a bunch of obstructionist worthless, need to be impeached, if there were a process, bunch of worthless assholes.

Sorry for cussing.

[pansypoo53219]

12. they did the same shit during clinton. its sedition from the federalists.

putting THE GOP finger on the scales of justice.

[Egnever]

13. Yup this has been ongoing for years now.

[raging moderate]

14. It's an old Republicon practice, exacerbated by racism.

They just can't stand having a Black US President.

[Brother Joe Observes]

15. And what this means to me is...

even more gains for us in the Senate this November! Hell, I wouldn't be surprised is we ended up in the high 50s!