Questions about Judges Republicans Don't Want to Answer

[underpants]

November 12, 2003

http://democrats.senate.gov/judges1.html

Since the passage of the Senate organizing resolution 15 months ago, the Democratic-led Senate has confirmed 80 judicial nominees -- that’s more nominees than were confirmed during the first 15 months of the Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Clinton Administrations.

In 2000, the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed only 39 judges, including 8 circuit judges; in 1999, only 34 judges, including 7 circuit court judges; in 1997, only 36 judges, including 7 circuit court judges; and in 1996, only 17 judges, with no circuit court judges confirmed at all that year.

When Republicans say Senate Democrats have “blocked” almost 40 percent of Bush nominees, they are including all Bush nominees that have not been confirmed – even if they were only recently nominated or their files are incomplete. In reality, of the Bush judicial nominees still pending, 60 percent have been nominated within the last four months.

More than a dozen, well-qualified Clinton nominees had to wait over 500 days to be confirmed, including nine who waited over 700 days, four who waited over 900 days, two who waited over 1,000 days, and one, Richard Paez, who waited 1,520 days from nomination to confirmation.

How about Hispanic-American judicial nominees – who has the better record?