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Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Confirm Bolton, judicial nominees now
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With Democrats due to take control of the U.S. Senate in January, President Bush has two options — three really — for handling his judicial nominees. He can use the lame-duck session to fight for confirmation of five stalled appellate court nominees who are ready for a Senate vote, including one, federal district court judge Terrance Boyle of North Carolina, who was first nominated to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond 14 years ago by the president’s father. Or he can consider that, as far as the judiciary is concerned, his administration is over.
There are now 16 vacancies among the 179 judges who sit on 13 federal appeals courts. It’s unilkely that after January Bush will be able to gain confirmation of any conservative with a record that can be twisted, as has been the custom among liberals. “Don’t send us political extremists,” warned U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) after this month’s GOP “thumping.” A political extremist, of course, is one suspected of holding conservative views.
Confirming United Nations Ambassador John Bolton in the lame-duck session is vital. But the President should fight, too, for the confirmation of the stalled judicial nominees who are suspected of being conservative. It’s not going to happen after January, nor to be honest, should conservatives expect action then. In the final two years of the Clinton Administration, Republicans sat on 16 of his appeals court nominees.
For President Bush and the stalled nominees, it’s now or never. Go for it.
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