Political Quotes

“rather than read this excellent memorandum, which I would encourage my colleagues to do, let me give a brief history, a little summary of what that memorandum states on the history of the blue slip. The blue-slip courtesy was created in 1917, so it has basically been around for 101 years. Only 2 of 18 Judiciary Committee chairmen have allowed the blue slip to become an absolute veto blocking consideration and confirmation of judges. Those two chairmen were James Eastland between 1956 and 1978--so that was for a 22-year period--and then Senator Patrick Leahy for about 10 years. So of the 101 years that the blue-slip courtesy has been around, for only 32 of those years has the blue slip been used as an absolute veto by any Senator. Looking further at the history--and I think it is relevant to a confirmation for Wisconsin's seat on the Seventh Circuit--in 1981, Wisconsin Senator William Proxmire returned a negative blue slip on Judge John Shabaz, a nominee to be a district judge. The Senate took that negative blue slip into consideration, but the committee still held a hearing, and the Senate voted to confirm the judge as a district judge. The next year, 1982, Senator Proxmire again returned a negative blue slip on a circuit judge nominee, Judge John Coffey. Once again, the committee took that blue slip into consideration but still held a hearing, and the Senate confirmed Judge Coffey later that year.…”