Political Quotes

“we remain well behind the pace set by the Senate during President Bush's first term. By the end of his first term, the Senate had confirmed 205 district and circuit nominees, had already confirmed 168 by this point in his third year, and had lowered judicial vacancies to 46. In contrast, the Senate has confirmed only 124 of President Obama's district and circuit nominees, leaving judicial vacancies at more than 80. The vacancy rate remains nearly double what it had been reduced to by this point in the Bush administration. Senate action on the 18 consensus judicial nominations pending before the Senate as it ends it session would have gone a long way to helping resolve the longstanding judicial vacancies that are delaying justice for so many Americans in our Federal courts across the country. When the Senate returns in January, I hope that Senate Republicans will abandon these destructive practices and join with us to confirm the qualified, consensus judicial nominations they have stalled. This cycle of unnecessary delays must end. Exhibit 1 [From the New York Times, Dec. 14, 2011] Rock Bottom (By Linda Greenhouse) Now that another highly qualified judicial nominee has been left as road kill, the question is how much lower can the confirmation process sink. I'm referring to the defeat, by filibuster, last week of Caitlin J. Halligan, President Obama's nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. I last wrote about Ms.…”