Well, Goodwin Liu Has Withdrawn His Nomination for 9th Circuit

[tishaLA]

Goodwin Liu, President Obama's nominee for a seat on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, sent a letter to the president a few hours ago officially withdrawing his name from consideration. Liu's nomination was filibustered in the Senate last week, when Republicans (and one Democrat) refused to give Liu an up-or-down vote.

In his letter, linked here, Liu makes reference to last week's failed cloture vote and the judicial vacancy crisis at the 9th Circuit, to which he was nominated more than a year ago. "With no possibility of an up-or-down vote on the horizon, my family and I have decided that it is time for us to regain the ability to make plans for the future," he writes. He then thanks the president for his support. <...> Slate

It's a shame. I watched his hearings and IMO he was one of the best of the nominees this administration has had--and he was undone by a broken, fucked up process that stops anyone with anything mildly interesting to say unable to serve on the judiciary. He's an astonishingly smart guy, though, and staying in Berkeley isn't bad at all.

[Hannah Bell]

1. kr... why is it that his nomination was filibustered???

[tishaLA]

2. In part because of some comments he made about Alito before he became a justice

He basically called him a fascist, but in a nice, academic way. He said Alito’s record “envisions an America” where, among other tragedies, “police may shoot and kill an unarmed boy to stop him from running away with a stolen purse.”

It's mostly because he's very liberal, though. And he's--OMG!--participated in brown bag lunches at Berkeley and didn't submit any of the "working" paper's he'd presented at the brown bags in a timely fashion.

[Dawson Leery]

4. Sammy The Bull Scalito has no problem with forced strip searches of little children.

[Hannah Bell]

5. damn. i *want* him on the court.

[dynasaw]

3. He also happens to be brilliant

and god forbid that we'd want brainy people in power. :sarcasm:

[gkhouston]

6. That's two recess appointments that should be made, IMO. n/t