Posted on 03/23/2006 3:18:06 PM PST by Cboldt
WASHINGTON (AP) Michigan Appeals Court Judge Henry Saad has withdrawn his nomination to the federal appeals court, ending a long quest to be seated on the bench amid a partisan fight over judicial appointments.
Saad, of Bloomfield Hills, was nominated to the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals four times, most recently in 2005, but a Senate agreement reached last May made no commitment to ending the filibuster blocking his nomination. He had been opposed by Democratic Sens. Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow.
Saad, 57, informed the White House on Wednesday that he was withdrawing his nomination, said Michigan Republican Party spokeswoman Sarah Anderson. A message seeking comment was left with a White House spokesman.
[REID - May 12, 2005] Henry Saad would have been filibustered anyway. He is one of those nominees. All one needs to do is have a Member go upstairs and look at his confidential report from the FBI, and I think we would all agree that there is a problem there.
109th Congress - Page S5030 - May 12, 2005
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1401701/posts?page=1996#1996
"I just knew there was a file, I wanted to see the file and, you know, convince myself that there was nothing in that file that ought to impede his ability to be a federal circuit court judge, which is a lifetime appointment," said Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.
Saad Unlikely to See Confirmation Vote - May 29, 2005
At Collins' suggestion, their names [Haynes & Kavanaugh], as well as those of McKeague, Griffin and Neilson, were dropped from the document.
I take the deliberate mention of "no promise to vote for cloture for Saad" as a strong negative signal, both because his name is mentioned (as is Myers) and because, unlike Myers, his nomination was still in committee. It is interesting that the MOU is inconsistent - it assigns Saad to Part I (currently pending) while his nomination was yet to be acted on by the Judiciary Committee.
"This memorandum is in two parts. Part I relates to the currently pending judicial nominees; Part II relates to subsequent individual nominations to be made by the President and to be acted upon by the Senates Judiciary Committee."
I think this anomoly is insignificant because I view the MOU as a political tool, not as a contract. Every Senator will use the language of the MOU to personal advantage.
A round of applause to Reid, who got away with slandering Saad based on FBI files he was NOT authorized to have access to. As well as offer my sincere congratulations to McCain, Lott, and the rest of the culprits that kept the filibuster intact.
ping :-(
Too Baad!
So Saad!
Perhaps All the Senators would enjoy a peak into their own FBI Files...
I am just surprised he waited this long to withdraw his name...
A very interesting discussion (been going on for some time), regarding which of the Circuit Court nominations is most important to have confirmed.
Kavanaugh clearly comes up as the consensus favorite. I'm not sure about Kavanaugh, myself, because he was involved in burying the Foster investigation, and tried to keep Lewinski out of Starr's report. Hillary! is rumored to be blocking Kavanaugh through a proxy.
I'll bet many of their constituents certainly would.
;o)
[Ed Whelan 03/23 05:41 PM]The Senate was too busy with asbestos (knocked down), lobbying reform (knocked out by Schumer), and dawdling on the USA PATRIOT Act when it could have been debating.Matt, I have a few additional questions: Why was Saad left languishing in committee for nearly three years after his July 2003 hearing? Why didn't the Republican majority on the committee report his nomination to the Senate floor? If it had done so, would majority leader Frist have pushed for an up-or-down vote on the nomination? Or would it have been left in seemingly endless limbo, like the nominations of Terry Boyle to the Fourth Circuit and William Myers to the Ninth Circuit, both of which were reported to the full Senate over a year ago? Why does a 55-member Republican majority defer to two Democrats from Michigan? Why are the nominations of William Haynes to the Fourth Circuit and Brett Kavanaugh to the D.C. Circuit still mired in committee, 28 months and 23 months, respectively, after their hearings?
Perhaps there are good answers to these questions. Whatever the real answers are, it would be good to hear them.
Toss in a day or two off to refresh the mind, and before you know it, the whole session is used up!
Uh, what could possibly be in his file that would be bad? Voting Republican once?
Who knows? Plenty of speculation on it.
Other analysts speculate that it is payback for an e-mail in which Saad complained about Michigan Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow stalling his nomination. ... Inadvertently, Saad sent that e-mail to Stabenow herself. He quickly apologized, but the damage was done. ...Some close to Saad dismiss Reid's suggestion, speculating that Reid was referring to a complaint in the FBI file by Stabenow about Saad's e-mail.
Do you have any other prediction/surprises about withdrawals?
LOL....I know, my post was rather childish...
However, I had an excuse...I had a 1 year old on my lap at the time..crying because she felt like it. sigh
Re: prognostications?? Just that none of them will be dealt with this session...
In fact, not much will...with only 97 total days in session all year...and all of the grandstanding, campaigning, stalling, filibustering, etc...it is not likely ANYTHING of substance will get done this year.
Perhaps another one of those humongous Omnibus Appropriations Bill...because they HAVE to....but won't get all of the appropriations done in time....to do them individually, and "in the light of day"....can you say pork??
I guess they will get one more shot before some charade of a lobby reform/pork reform bill is passed.
NOW...this is all predicated on NO retirements or deaths on the SCOTUS this year...if that happens, even LESS will get done, (if that is possible).
I know, I know this post isn't cerebral either, but I am tired from 4 days of babysitting 24/7...and I won't have a free day until Sunday...then back to the grind on Monday.
So...sue me!!!
LOL j/k
Actually, Saad was a good guess/choice for withdrawing. He was at the top of my list of "nominees who will give the Senate heartburn." Months ago, I posted this ...
Of the Circuit Court nominations remaining, my personal opinion of the "rank order" from least contentious to most likely to trigger the nuclear option goes something like this:
Saad is a Middle Eastern name....I bet if the situation were reversed, the dems would be screaming "racism" againt Arabs...
I just wish Frist would have screamed "obstructionism"...just like they did when Daschle was the Minority leader..and was famous for slow-walking or stalling these things.
So NOW Frist decides he is going to make his stand on immigration...which is so split, even among party members...that no matter what happens it won't be a "winner" that getting these nominees through would be.
Saad wasn't even out of Committee, like Myers has been for over a year, and Boyle has since mid-June. Specter has a pretty good collection of nominees in his Committee, said Committee also dealing with the immigration bill, toying with NSA legislation, etc.
These nominations should have been handled months ago. Obviously, they don't listen to me, so I quit communicating with them.
Unfortunately, the Senate Republicans are in danger of a LOT of people giving up....which, although a long shot, could make them the MINORITY...
I wonder how Lott or McConnell would like the title Minority Leader again?
March 23, 2006 at 8:06 pm. By Marshall --> About Circuit CourtsOver the past couple of years, thanks in part to my involvement in the judicial confirmation battles, I had the pleasure and privilege of getting to know Judge Saad. I came to know him as a fine gentleman who more than deserved to take his seat on the 6th Circuit. His withdrawal tonight ends a shameful saga of character assasination perpetrated by obstructionist Democrats. But perhaps the most shameful part of the tale is that complicit Republicans allowed it to succeed. When Henry Saad was under attack -- when Minority Leader Harry Reid violated Senate rules by referencing confidential information about Judge Saad on the floor of the Senate -- too many Republicans sat by and let Reid and his Senate cronies get away with it.
So tonight, I hope every Republican Senator feels ashamed. I hope the Democrats do as well, but I'm long past believing that there's a teaspoon full of shame to go around their caucus.
UPDATE: Just received this from Manny Miranda, head of the Third Branch Conference.
The withrawal of Judge Saad, first nominated in November 2001 and renominated twice more, represents an outrageous failure of the Republican senate leadership, and a nauseating injustice to a well-qualified public servant. It is also a failure of White House stewardship of their own judicial nominees. This withdrawal represents another Republican surrender to despicable bullying and calumny.Judge Saad was the first Arab American nominated to the circuit court that serves the greatest Arab American population in the United States. Senator Stabenow should be taken to task for the obstruction of Judge Saad, but Republicans are also responsible. Democrat obstruction is winning by Republican neglect.
Indeed.
Another disgraceful result thanks to the stench of the Gang of 14.
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