Posted on 11/30/2017 1:42:21 AM PST by Impy
WASHINGTON — Louisiana U.S. Sen. John Kennedy lambasted several of the Trump administration's picks for the federal judiciary, calling one nominee "embarrassing" and questioning the competency of the White House office charged with vetting potential judges.
Kennedy became the first GOP senator to vote against a Trump administration nominee for a federal judgeship Tuesday night, turning down his thumb at Gregory Katsas' nomination for the powerful D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.
The senator said Katsas, an attorney who currently serves as deputy counsel to President Donald Trump, would have an inherent conflict of interest on the appeals court because of its extensive jurisdiction over matters involving the White House.
The Senate confirmed Katsas to the post, 50 to 48, despite Kennedy's vote. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia broke ranks with his party to back Katsas.
"I think his credentials are extraordinary, I think he does an extraordinary job for President Trump," Kennedy said of Katsas, "But to me there’s an appearance of a conflict if on one day he’s representing the president and the next day he’s on the D.C. Circuit deciding cases in which the president is a party."
Kennedy, speaking with a gaggle of reporters in the basement of the U.S. Capitol just after casting his vote against Katsas, pledged to oppose another White House pick for a federal judgeship in Alabama.
The senator also hinted at potential opposition to Kyle Duncan, a nominee for a Louisiana seat on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Duncan is set to appear before the Senate's Judiciary Committee Wednesday.
Kennedy said he's impressed with the "pro-life and pro-religious freedom" qualifications of Duncan, a 45-year-old LSU law school graduate who has become a major Washington-based legal warrior on conservative social issues.
But Kennedy questioned Duncan's ties to the state, saying he's received "a lot of calls" from Louisiana attorneys and judges with extensive experience and comparable conservative credentials. Appointments to the federal bench are highly prized among lawyers and seats on appellate courts like the Fifth Circuit are lifelong ambitions for many.
Except for a several-year stint working for former Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, Duncan has spent nearly all of his professional career outside Louisiana and has been based in Washington for the past several years.
"'So how come you’re picking a Washington lawyer — what am I, chopped liver?'" Kennedy said Louisianans have asked him. "And I’ve got to be able to answer that from those people."
Although Kennedy told Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, he has no objections to holding a hearing for Duncan, the Louisiana senator has so far withheld his support.
Kennedy highlighted Brett Talley, a White House pick for a lifetime federal district court appointment in Alabama, as an example of White House nominees "that have no business being on a federal bench."
Numerous questions have been raised about Talley's qualifications. Talley, an attorney, has never tried a courtroom case. He also didn't note that his wife, Annie Donaldson, works in the White House as chief of staff to White House Counsel Don McGahn.
Kennedy said he'd vote against Talley "in a heartbeat — and twice if I could."
Kennedy said he supported Talley in the Judiciary Committee only because he was never told about his wife's position and because other disqualifying information hadn't come to light. Kennedy referenced a Slate.com report indicating Talley may have defended the Klu Klux Klan in voluminous posts to an online message board.
"Give me a break!" Kennedy said. "It is embarrassing and I think the president of the United States is getting some very, very bad advice."
Kennedy said he'd tried to raise these concerns with McGahn, the White House counsel, whose office handles potential nominees for the federal bench. But the senator said those conversations haven't been productive.
"It's like talking to the wind," Kennedy said.
Ping
He apparently has grown in office.
He was a democrat until 2007, perhaps his conversion was...less than genuine.
Another party jumper like Arlen Specter, apparently.
And Kagan and Co by Obama weren’t embarrassing?
It’s not entirely unreasonable his concerns, but we need to fill these vacant seats.
He’s been a Democrat,only becoming a Republican to win in Louisiana. If he obstructs the President’s program, he should hear from his constituents. We don’t want a younger version of attention-seeking John McCain.
He should put away his private concerns and just do his job by voting with the President.
If he was formerly a D, how did he possibly get an endorsement from the GOPe in the R primary? (super mega /s)
That said, I can understand the concerns. Let’s hear him comment on whether Kagan was qualified for the SCOTUS, since he is trying to be thoughtful about qualifications. Crickets? I thought so. LOL!
More GOPe infiltration.
With the name of Kennedy, somehow, I thought he might be trouble.
Ego is a terrible affliction
Katsas is an incredibly good pick. That is in contrast to Kennedy himself. As everything is corrupt in Louisiana he probably bought his seat.
If that is his standard, then conflicts already abound at every level of the judiciary.
“But I have friends that want the job instead!”
“Conflict of interest!”
He can go screw himself with that stuff.
Going wobbly.
Unfortunately, Louisiana does not have a Republican primary. The state has a “jungle primary” in which all candidates, regardless of party, run on the same ballot, and, if no one gets 50%+1 of the vote, there’s a run-off between the top two vote-getters (irrespective of party). The run-off pitted Kennedy against a Democrat, and Kennedy won handily.
To be fair, Kennedy’s voting record has been pretty good, particularly on judges, prior to his recent stupidity. Hopefully he’s not planning on voting and speaking like a moron for the next five years as a strategy for the “jungle primary” in his 2022 reelection.
Louisiana needs to get rid of its counterproductive (and, in my opinion, unconstitutional) “jungle primary” and implement party registration and partisan primaries (with a run-off if no candidate gets a majority) for all federal elections.
So the only thing these guys can get done is now in question? Worthless trash of a “party”
He is a Democrat in an R jersey.
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