Smith Nomination Heads for Senate

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate Judiciary Committee sent the nomination of Arkansas lawyer Lavenski Smith for the U.S. Appeals Court on to the full Senate for approval.

The panel voted 19-0 on Thursday to move Smith's nomination to the floor for a vote. If confirmed, Smith would serve on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis. That court covers North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri and Arkansas.

Smith is a lawyer and former business professor who served a year on the Arkansas Supreme Court as an appointee of Gov. Mike Huckabee. Smith ran unsuccessfully for the state Court of Appeals in 2000, and now serves on the state Public Service Commission.

The committee also held a confirmation hearing for U.S. District Judge Dennis Shedd of South Carolina, a former aide to Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.C.

Shedd wants a seat on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., which covers South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia and has the largest black population of any circuit.

Republicans tried to push through more judicial nominations before the Senate leaves for the July Fourth holiday, but Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has blocked most nominations.

McCain wants a written commitment from the White House that Ellen Weintraub will get a Democratic seat on the Federal Election Commission, or else he will object to any vote on any nominee.

Who needs enemies when we have John McCain on our side?

1 posted on 06/27/2002 5:29:04 PM PDT by Dog Gone

The demoncRATS are running scared. They passed this through the judiciary committee so quickly because they know the Pledge flap is their quicksand.

I hope they sink!

2 posted on 06/27/2002 5:32:39 PM PDT by twntaipan

That's why we need a cushion of two extra seats so mccain and chaffee cannot hold the Republicans hostage by threatening to bolt. When we Take Back the Senate -- no Chairmanship for mccain which is why we need to have Sen Nickles (R-OK) as Majority Leader and not Lott!

3 posted on 06/27/2002 5:42:02 PM PDT by PhiKapMom

McCain has already bolted as far as I can tell. We MUST retake the Senate by at least two!

4 posted on 06/27/2002 5:44:20 PM PDT by Dog Gone

I am with you -- we need those two extra seats -- one for when Mccain bolts and one for Chaffee!

5 posted on 06/27/2002 6:41:03 PM PDT by PhiKapMom

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