Bush Accuses Democrats of Creating Judicial Crisis

Reuters ^

[Phlap]

President Bush on Friday accused Senate Democrats of "endangering the administration of justice in America" by refusing to confirm many of his nominees for federal judgeships.

The Republican president and the Democratic-controlled Senate have been locked in an ideological dispute over Bush's judicial nominees, with Democrats accusing Bush of picking people who are too conservative.

"By its inaction the Senate is endangering the administration of justice in America," Bush said. "I call on Senate Democrats to end the vacancy crisis in our federal courts by restoring fairness to the judicial confirmation process."

In a speech, Bush said of 100 federal court nominees he has sent to Capitol Hill in the past year, only half have been confirmed. Only nine of his 30 nominees to federal circuit courts of appeal have been confirmed, he said.

"All across America the wait for justice is growing longer, the burden on federal judges is growing heavier and the frustration level of ordinary Americans seeking justice is growing greater," Bush said.

copyright reuters

[Phlap]

Accused? GMAB

[aristeides]

Time for recess appointments to the judiciary? That would end the crisis, at least temporarily. By the way, when's the next congressional recess?

[hchutch]

All right!! KATN!!

Now, for two or three recess appointments to the Sixth Circuit. THAT is where the big emergency is, and it's the only place Bush can get away with recess appointments.

[justshutupandtakeit]

Looks like the RATS let one nomination get out of committee the other day.

On another topic looks like Spurrier got Matthews for nothing.

[hchutch]

Looks like an error on their part.

As for the Matthews situation, it looks like the Redskins have a good QB for a couple of years. This will work as well as the release of Jim Harbaugh did.

[Stand Watch Listen]

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[T. P. Pole]

Love this quote from the AP story:

"He said more than 10 percent of federal judgeships are vacant. He did not mention that the shortage is partially due to Republican senators who derailed many nominees of former Democratic President Clinton."

OK, who wants to put up the stats?

[E.G.C.]

I saw that speech this morning. I was very impressed with the way he addressed the issue.

The people at Reuters are nothing but a bunch of idiots as far as I'm concerned.

[cake_crumb]

Go President Bush! You tell 'em!

Let's ROLL over the Democrat Jihad!

[caltrop]

I'm past being impressed and am simply disgusted, with the Democrats and Bush. Bush, if he really wanted these nominees on the bench, should have been making recess appointments six months ago. Given his sorry record (almost all less conservative than those they replaced) of vacancy appointments to the Texas Supreme Court, one has to question whether these nominations weren't merely sops to conservatives.

[E.G.C.]

Well, that's what he should do is make recess appointments. His heart is in the right place. Now if he'll just follow through, it may work out.

[Miss Marple]

Recess appointments are only good until the end of the congressional session. They are not permanent, as I understand it, and the judges would have to be re=appointed or confirmed after that.

I could be wrong about this, but I believe that is why there have been no judiciary recess appointments.

[Huusker]

Well, that's what he should do is make recess appointments.

While Bush can make recess appointments for executive branch positions, I don't know if it is legal for judicial appointments. The latter are for life, to avoid having to kow-tow to politicians (to remain unbiased and all that). If a sitting judge has to be re-confirmed it could affect his impartiality, knowing he has to kiss up to the congress critters again in 12 months.

[E.G.C.]

Yeah that's a good point. I'm don't know about how things work with regards to what the president can or can't do.

I think the thing here is the ballot box in November where we replace those Demorats and RINO's on the judiciary commitee with those who will put those judges in. Right now, the reason for the mess is because of a certain POS from Vermont who switched parties and gave the Demorats an illegitimate majority in the Senate. Something I don't think the voters had in mind in the 2000 elections.

What the Demorats seem to want want is for their party to become the source of law in this country and for their platform to attain the full force of law. This is not what the founding fathers had in mind when they set up the framework for goverment in this country but apparently some people with a warped mindset seem to think differently.

[caltrop]

Recess appointments run, as I understand it, for twelve months. After that, they need to be confirmed. Clinton recess appointed a black judge (Gregory) to the 4th Circuit (the first in history) who was later confirmed. Once on the bench, it'd be difficult to defeat a number of those nominated. Estrada, for example, would be tough for the Dems to oppose once seated. Recess appointments probably don't make sense for sitting judges who'd have to give up their positions, such as Pickering, but Estrada is in private practice and McConnell is a tenured professor.

[Huusker]

Thanks for the info!

[deport]

• Judicial Nominations list of nominees, etc.
• List of all Nominations less Judicial by President Bush

Any recess appointment is valid only for the remainder of the existing Congressional term, unless confirmed by the Senate, after which they must step down. Thus at the end of this year any and all recess appts (judicial, executive, otherwise) would become void. They can be confirmed by the new Congress if renominated.

[deport]

US Constitution.....Article II, Section 2.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

[caltrop]

Thanks. I didn't know they expire at the end of the session. That being the case, Bush has to convince Hastert to rise instead of recess, or use some other means to extend the session once he's made a raft of recess appointments.