U.S. Circuit Judge William H. Pryor checks e-mail on a handheld device in his office in Birmingham, Ala., after the Senate voted to confirm him to a lifetime appointment on Thursday, June 9, 2005. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)
Posted on 06/10/2005 7:14:16 PM PDT by Libloather
Senate deal is done: Three judges are confirmed
The Associated Press
June 10, 2005 6:01AM
WASHINGTON - The GOP-controlled Senate approved former Alabama Attorney General William Pryor and Michigan nominees David McKeague and Richard Griffin Thursday for seats on the U.S. Appeals Court, completing an unprecedented run of long-delayed judicial confirmations.
With a vote of 53-45, Pryor was approved for 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the Atlanta-based court that handles federal appeals from Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Griffin was confirmed 95-0 and McKeague 96-0, both for seats on the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati.
''These three nominees have waited a combined total of over eight years for their votes,'' President Bush said in a statement. ''I applaud the Senate for today giving these fine nominees the up-or-down votes they deserve.''
Bush gave Pryor a recess appointment in February 2004 after Democrats filibustered his confirmation. That appointment would have ended this year if Pryor had not been confirmed. Bush said Pryor's service on the 11th Circuit built on a judicial career in which he ''has applied the law fairly and impartially to all people.''
Pryor, 43, watched the vote over the Internet in his office in Birmingham, Ala. Aides brought out cake and champagne to celebrate.
''What a day,'' Pryor said. ''We even managed to get an opinion out.''
The Senate confirmed three of President Bush's most-wanted appellate nominees in less than three weeks after Senate centrists looking to avoid a partisan battle over judicial filibusters struck a deal.
Pryor, Janice Rogers Brown and Priscilla Owen all had been waiting at least two years for Senate confirmation. Democrats have blocked the nominations of judges they consider too conservative.
Democrats had blocked Griffin and McKeague because Michigan's senators were upset at Republicans for refusing to confirm President Clinton's nominees to that court. While the two were not part of the filibuster deal, Democrats decided to allow them through as a gesture of good will.
''I could not be more pleased and proud that Judge Bill Pryor was part of the group that were agreed upon by those members of the Senate to get an up-or-down vote,'' said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., whose own nomination as a federal judge the Senate Judiciary Committee rejected in 1986. ''Bill Pryor is the kind of judge America ought to have.''
Democrats had fought to keep Pryor from getting a permanent judgeship. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., sued to get Pryor removed because he felt Bush's recess appointment was illegal. The courts rejected Kennedy's argument. ''After the president didn't get his way with William Pryor, he took the truly extraordinary step of making a recess appointment,'' said Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y. ''So while the renomination of rejected judges was a thumb in the eye, the recess appointment of Bill Pryor was a punch in the face.''
It takes 60 votes to bypass a filibuster. Republicans were able to get 53 votes for Pryor in July 2003 and 51 votes that November. On Wednesday the Senate voted 67-32 to end Pryor's filibuster.
The Senate also plans to advance the nomination of Terrence Boyle, a North Carolina judge nominated to the 4th Circuit in Richmond, Va., though a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee was delayed.
But...but Eleanor Clift and Jonathan Alter said the Democrats were making a big comeback!
Ok, we dont need the deal anymore, Time to Nuke the Judicial Filibuster!!
"Hmmmmm... what's this one say...? 'Nancy... Pelosi... Is... A... Filthy... Hermaphroditic... Skank... Hosebag' -- Whoa! Mom! LANGUAGE -- !" :)
Sorry Chuckie, those judges weren't rejected. They were never voted on in the first place.
Actually, the filibuster compromise didn't turn out so badly. I wasn't thrilled with it, but it was better than what had been going on before. The 'Rats will no longer use the filibuster on a routine basis because they know that the nuclear option can still be deployed.
So far, it's been all gain with little loss.
Well now the Comprimise all depends on their definition of extreme circumstances in which they can filibuster. If they follow it the way it should, it may continue on, but I wouldn't let them get away with much if I were Frist, McCain or any of the rest before Nuking the Judicial Filibuster
I thought McCain controlled the senate!!
My Bad.
I clerked for Griffin. Great guy.
The fact that the last two judges faced no hurdle probably suggests that these are the ones who believe in a living Constitution.
If Frist is smart, he'll exercise the Constitutional Option at the first sign of resistance from the RATS.
He's gonna need to do it before the SCOTUS nomination. Might as well get it out of the way.
That assumes, of course, he's got the leadership cojones that will take. If he doesn't, we're in deep do-do.
Thank you Trent Lott. Anyone wanna bet all three of these men would have been confirmed with the nuclear option? I doubt it.
There is much weeping at DU.
Better put some ice on that, Chuck.
Well then, Thank you John McCain for giving the American people some excellent judges whose impact will be felt for many generations.
They are both quiet, steady, conservative judges. They will be noncontroversial, but will strictly construe the constitution. (At least that's my prediction).
I checked there. They got conservative cartoon, Weekly Standard articles, it's pretty funny. It's like the left doesn't have anything interesting to say so they are left posting conservative views & b*tching about them.
I just read a thread where they are b*tching NPR. LOL.
Here is what the good guys say about McKeague
Judicial Nominations - Judge David McKeague
Here is what the bad guys say about McKeague
Independent Judiciary: The Nominees
Here is what the good guys say about Boyle
Judicial Nominations - Judge Terrence Boyle
Here is what the bad guys say about Boyle
Independent Judiciary: The Nominees
How do you figure these are the good guys?
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