In Act of Defiance, Democrat Stalls Obama Choice for Court......Time to vote his butt out

[mfcorey1]

snip

r. Menendez would not comment. But the nominee, Patty Shwartz, has been in a relationship for more than two decades with the head of the public corruption unit for New Jersey’s federal prosecutor. And that unit investigated the senator during his 2006 election fight, an inquiry Mr. Menendez has long contended was politically motivated.

Judge Shwartz, now a federal magistrate judge in Newark, a lower-level position, declined to comment. But the connection has led lawyers and judges in the state to speculate that Mr. Menendez is acting out of resentment, rather than any concern about Judge Shwartz’s qualifications.

“Every lawyer in the world will tell you that she’s extraordinarily qualified, a decent person and an excellent judge, and would be an asset to the circuit,” said Tom Curtin, the chairman of the lawyers’ advisory committee for the United States District Court for New Jersey. “This was going to be words and music for her, then something happened.”

Presidents nominate appeals court judges, submitting their names to the Senate for confirmation. Home-state senators are given the courtesy of being asked to weigh in on the nominees, a custom called “blue slipping,” after the color of the paper they use to record their recommendation, be it yes or no. Senators can also withhold a recommendation simply by not returning a blue slip, and they are not obligated to explain why.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/nyregion/senator-robert-menendez-stalls-obama-move-to-promote-judge-patty-shwartz.html?_r=1&hp

[T S Justly]

1. Obama's nominee is the girlfriend of then Fed prosecutor Chris Christie's special investigator ...

Who went after Menendez for ties to community activists, in a witch hunt designed
to help Menendez's Republican opponent. So, is Obama helping Republicans again?

[AtomicKitten]

2. Sounds like hostage-taking over old business.

The problem is the old business is with her significant other with whom she's been with for over two decades. Unless Rep. Menendez has an actual complaint against Judge Schwartz herself, I think he should stop using his office for political payback by proxy.

[Laelth]

3. Time for the President to make a new nomination. n/t

-Laelth

[vi5]

4. Or time for Obama to nominate someone else...

Maybe, I don't know a progressive/liberal? Or at the very least not someone who works with and enables Republicans dirty tricks?

It just blows my mind that DU is a place that says we need to vote out Senators who want to block Obama from nominating Republican enabling jurists to court positions, but we're stupposed to not vote out and tolerate Senators who want to block Obama from passing progressive legislation?

What the hell has this place come to?