Posted on 10/12/2009 9:16:24 AM PDT by jazusamo
Under the Senate Judiciary Committee as run by Patrick Leahy, even plans on which the two parties have previously agreed to collaborate disintegrate into partisanship. Witness his effort to expand the federal judiciary now that President Obama can pick the new judges.
The original version of the Federal Judgeship Act, proposed in March 2008 and co-sponsored by Utah Republican Orrin Hatch, was supposed to give both parties a say in the composition of an expanded federal judiciary. Then the election results would determine which party's President got to nominate the judges. The idea was to pass a plan and then have it go into effect after the inauguration of the election winner in 2008. It had bipartisan support.
Yet with a Democratic President now in the White House, Mr. Leahy wants to be sure Mr. Obama gets to do the picking—and not wait until the next election. His plan would create nine additional permanent appeals-court judgeships in five circuits, including two on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals in the Northeast and four on the overstretched Ninth in the West. It would also create three more temporary appeals court judgeships—seats that would last for 10 years through either 2019 or 2020. On the federal district courts, which are a step below the appellate bench, the Leahy bill would create another 38 permanent and 13 temporary judges.
There's little question that several circuits could benefit from more judges. Some circuits in the South have seen a surge of immigration cases. The Ninth Circuit encompasses such a broad and geographically diverse group of states that some have suggested it be split into two. According to the Judicial Conference's Executive Chairman, Judge Anthony Scirica, district court case loads have gone up by 27% since 1990...
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Gee, what a surprise. The Dems want to change the rules and stack the deck AFTER the legislation gets passed. It is precisely these types of shenanigans that has most of America disgusted with the political process.
It is not only time to throw these bums out, it is PAST time to adjourn the Congress indefinitely, rework the process (establishing firm, strict, inviolable term limits that apply to the elected pols AND their staffs) as well as new ethics rules to which they must abide.
Bush didn’t fire all the U.S. Attorneys. Clinton did. And the Dems saw no problem. Bush fired one U.S. Attorney that the Dems deemed a political opponent of the President and they screamed bloody murder.
You nailed it and both parties are guilty of it. However, the RATS seem to be the most blatant and abusive in that they don't honor agreements with Repubs.
I believe it was six that Bush replaced and the RATS had a fit even though there wasn’t a thing wrong or uncommon with the practice. Firing a US DA to replace him with the son of a US Senator really smells though.
Leahy leaked classified information to the press during the Iran Contra hearings, which is why he was moved to Judiciary..
Exactly, and he should have been nailed for it rather than get shuffled around with a wrist slap.
Whenever I hear the name Leahy, it reminds me that one of his leaks resulted in two fine Americans getting killed because he revealed them as agents of the US...
Thanks a lot Leahy...those Americans are dead and you are still a Senator...
Vermont - home of Leahy and the Socialist Senator, Bernie Sanders
If this doesn’t get filibustered, the Republican Party has no more reason to exist.
Then say goodby to the inept faction of this corrupt "Two-Party Cartel".
Leahy stopped W from filling lower court appointments and factually, Bush did not spend enough time or capital on getting these offices filled.
I agree. Interestingly enough, when Bush felt strongly about an issue and went on the stump to use his bully pulpit, he was exceptionally good and a powerful speaker. Unfortunately, he allowed too many issues to slide by and didn't press them hard enough.
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