Could someone explain the judicial nominee thing to me one more time?

[LittleClarkie]

I understand the 200 vs only 10 judges being blocked, which means that Bush is doing pretty well in that regard.

But what level of the judiciary is that?

Also, I saw on one of the cable news channels that at a lower judicial level, about 40 percent of Bush's nominees had been blocked, giving him about a 60 percent success rate, admittedly not so good.

What level of the judiciary could they be talking about? Was that the appellate courts?

Any info appreciated.

[flpoljunkie]

1. Dems are focusing on blocking Dubya's ideological circuit court nominees.

Circuit courts are where most federal case law is made as the Supreme Court takes only about 80-90 cases a year on appeal. The actual number of judges confirmed is now 205 with only 10 not having been confirmed.

Read this from Senator Byron Dorgan's website:

http://democrats.senate.gov/dpc/dpc-doc.cfm?doc_name=fs-108-2-197

[sandnsea]

2. Here's a link

I don't know what they're trying to spin.

Dec 2000 67 vacancies, 39 pending nominations
Dec 2004 29 vacancies, 20 pending nominations

Pretty clear who has been the most cooperative.

http://www.uscourts.gov/vacancies/archives.cfm#2000

[LittleClarkie]

4. I think it was CNN

so you can imagine what that "liberal" station was trying to spin.

[flpoljunkie]

3. Here's a good article from Los Angeles Times...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002244587_judges18.html

Analysis

Battle over judges foreshadows Supreme Court clashes to come

By David G. Savage
Los Angeles Times


WASHINGTON — The looming battle over President Bush's nominees to the U.S. appeals courts might derail the Senate, but it may not make much difference in the federal courts. That's because Republican appointees already dominate them.

Ninety-four of the 162 active judges now on U.S. appeals courts were chosen by Republican presidents. On 10 of the 13 circuit courts, Republican appointees have a clear majority. And, since 1976, at least seven of the nine seats on the U.S. Supreme Court have been filled by Republican appointees.

Even if President Bush wins approval for the dozen disputed nominees who have been blocked by Senate Democrats, only one circuit would shift its ideological balance: The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, now evenly divided, would become 10-6 Republican. That would give Republicans a majority on 11 of the 13 circuits versus the current 10 of 13.

Although it remains a staple of conservative rhetoric that the courts are "out of control" and driven by "liberal activists," the GOP's control of the White House for 24 of the past 36 years has given Republicans — if not conservatives — a firm grip on the federal judiciary.

more...