Another utterly absurd Senate rule could prevent judicial confirmations

[Antonio the Sixth]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/29/us/politics/despite-filibuster-limits-a-door-remains-open-to-block-judge-nominees.html?ref=politics&_r=0

Depressing. I hope the dems have the guts to toss this rule too, but it seems unlikely at this point.

[Brittain33]

Note that Orrin Hatch set a precedent of ignoring blue slips when it caused unseemly delays for Bush's nominees.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/11/blue-slip-battle-senate-obstructionists-secret-weapon.html

[Antonio the Sixth]

Note that Orrin Hatch set a precedent of ignoring blue slips when it caused unseemly delays for Bush's nominees.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/11/blue-slip-battle-senate-obstructionists-secret-weapon.html

Doesn't guarantee that Leahy will have the guts to do the same.

[krazen1211]

Of course the rationale is quite obvious. It permits Senators to control nominations from their own states. Carl Levin used blue slips to block multitudes of nominations because George W. Bush didn't nominate his relative to a judgeship .

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

if some tradition that was ignored during the Bush administration is going to be used to block judges, the Democratic party should rename themselves "The Total Joke Party".

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Note that Orrin Hatch set a precedent of ignoring blue slips when it caused unseemly delays for Bush's nominees.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2013/11/blue-slip-battle-senate-obstructionists-secret-weapon.html

Doesn't guarantee that Leahy will have the guts to do the same.

I trust Leahy on this. But my trust in my country's legislature and my party's leaders has been broken before and will be broken again.