Posted on 10/30/2003 4:44:12 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Senate committee again delays Saad's nomination
By DEE-ANN DURBIN
The Associated Press
10/30/2003, 1:52 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch delayed a vote on a Michigan judge for the fifth time Thursday, blaming "very difficult negotiations" with Democrats who are angry about the treatment of previous judicial nominees.
Michigan Court of Appeals Judge Henry Saad has been waiting since July for the committee to vote on his nomination to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Despite "continuous bludgeoning" from Republicans who are pushing for a vote on Saad, Hatch said Thursday he is determined "to work these things out" with Democrats.
"I don't want to see the man not have any chance at all, and this is the only thing I can do," said Hatch, R-Utah.
U.S. Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow, both Michigan Democrats, tried to block a hearing on Saad's nomination because former GOP Sen. Spencer Abraham blocked two of President Clinton's nominees to the 6th Circuit Court, including one nominee who waited more than four years for a hearing.
But Hatch went ahead with a nomination hearing for Saad in July. The committee must now vote on whether to recommend his nomination to the full Senate, where Democrats have threatened a filibuster if a compromise isn't reached.
Senate Republicans on Thursday failed to break a Democratic filibuster of U.S. District Judge Charles Pickering, a Mississippi judge who wants a seat on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Levin said Thursday that he, Stabenow and Hatch have met regularly to discuss possible compromises. Levin wouldn't elaborate on those negotiations, saying they are "too fragile, too delicate, too important."
"Anything I say should be constructive to try to promote a bipartisan solution," he said.
Congressional aides say the senators have discussed adding judges to the federal appeals court and placing Clinton's nominees in those seats. Levin pointed out Thursday that there is a bill in the House that would add seats to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, implying that it was part of the negotiations. But he wouldn't say whether he supports adding judges to the appeals court.
"Whether they should be added is up to the Judiciary Committee," he said.
But those aides also said there was significant opposition from Republicans who believe adding seats to placate Democrats would set a bad precedent.
Hatch hasn't held hearings for any of President Bush's three other Michigan nominees to the Cincinnati-based 6th Circuit Court, which handles appeals from federal district courts in Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. Traditionally, there have been four judges from each of those states on the 16-member court.
Hatch canceled a hearing for Judge David McKeague, a federal court judge from Lansing, in September. He hasn't scheduled hearings for Wayne County Court judge Susan Neilson or state appeals court judges Richard Griffin.
That was because of either Lenin or the Keating 5's Don Riegle blocking Bush I judges.
Don't blame me. I voted for Rocky.
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