So, standing up to republicans worked? Who'd have thought?

[bigtree]

Senate Rushes to Confirm Obama’s Judicial Nominees

The do-nothing Congress is actually doing something: confirming Obama’s judicial appointments, after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last fall exercised what has become known as the “nuclear option”

____ Thus far in his presidency, Obama has gotten through 300 nominees, or 35 more than George W. Bush at the same point in his presidency. Pending before the Senate are 22 more nominations, four to circuit courts and 18 to the district courts, with another 18 nominations scheduled before the Judiciary Committee. There are currently 74 vacancies on the federal bench.

The swift pace of confirmation comes after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid last November exercised what has come to be known as the “nuclear option,” for its potential to unilaterally change Senate rules to strip the minority of the ability to filibuster all of the President’s judicial nominees except those to the Supreme Court. Reid originally changed the rules in order to fill three vacancies on the DC Circuit Court of Appeals, known as the second-most powerful court in the land because it reviews most regulators appeals.

Republicans argued the court’s workload did not warrant a full bench and worried that three Democratic nominees would tilt it leftward for a generation. Until November, the court was more evenly split. Democrats argued that the time it takes to confirm appellate appointees has grown from an average of 30 days under Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson to 60 days under Ronald Reagan to 402 days for George W. Bush and 255 days under Obama.

After Reid triggered the nuclear option, all three DC Circuit Court appointees were confirmed. But that also opened the floodgates for other judicial appointments. Obama “has managed to turn around the break down on courts of appeals: they used to be 60% to 40% Republican and now 56% of the active judges are Democratic appointees,” says Russell Wheeler, an expert on U.S. courts at The Brookings Institution. “Obama’s going to have a solid legacy.”


read more: http://time.com/96809/senate-rushes-to-confirm-obamas-judicial-nominees/

[sheshe2]

1. K&R

Good news bigtree!

[rhett o rick]

2. I am not happy he waited so long. And I am not happy he didnt exercise the nuclear option for

all legislation. What is he waiting for?

[jollyreaper2112]

4. Powder

He's gotta keep that powder dry. He's suckering them in closer. That knife in his ribs? That's really got them fooled along with all that blood splashing over their hands. They don't realize he's got them right where he wants them. Dry powder.

[rhett o rick]

7. If you are stuck with a bunch of "dry powder" when the war is over, you are a fool. nm

[Fearless]

12. +10000!

[PeteSelman]

8. Should have done it in 2009.

But they were too busy playing that idiotic "bipartisan" game.

Doing it now would be pointless with the bagger house.

[gratuitous]

3. But the Republicans will say mean things and stamp their feet!

And John McCain will go on all the Sunday talk shows, and Sarah Palin will say something stupid, and then Marsha Blackburn will say something even stupider, and then Alan West will say something so colossally stupid it will make everyone lose 1 IQ point for an hour.

We can't risk it!

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

6. Nothing pleases Grampy McSame

[progressoid]

5. Except this asshole...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/12/1298836/-Democratic-opposition-lines-up-against-Obama-judicial-nbsp-nominee

?1399920022

[msongs]

9. time for a dem to go repub and put a hold on this nomination nt

[Cha]

10. This is progress we need in spite of the madhatters still trying to slow it down..

from you link, bigtree..

"Reid’s move prompted Republicans to invoke a series of procedural maneuvers to slow the pace of confirmations. They forced Obama to renominate all un-confirmed nominations—some 54 appointments—at the end of last year; as a courtesy the minority usually waves through outstanding nominations into the next year. They’re also insisting that all circuit court nominees get 30 hours of debate, and District Court nominees get two hours. Republicans have also exercised the right to “blue slip” nominees, meaning home state senators can veto appointees.."

Michael Boggs of Georgia doesn't look good at all though.. not sure what the President is thinking on that nominee?

[SunSeeker]

14. As I understand it, the GOP got Boggs as part of a "blue slip" deal.

It was part of a deal that allowed Obama to appoint a bunch of Dems that otherwise would not have been appointed had the GOP fully exercised their right to veto home state nominees. Yes, we let the GOP have this one major douchebag, but it was in exchange for them not blue slipping a bunch of Dem judges.

Tough call.

[Cha]

15. Oh thank you for that, SunSeeker.. I figured there had to be some reason..

and there it is. Details that are left out when they're railing against Pres Obama for Boggs.

very Tough!

[corkhead]

19. but Boggs is a supposed Democrat

who is a lot more ideologically closer to Scalia than to Obama

[SunSeeker]

20. Yeah, well there's a reason the GOP wanted him as part of the deal.

Maybe once he gets appointed for life, he will be free to find his soul. I know it didn't work with Scalia. But as you point out, this guy is a Dem, so there's some hope, however slight.

[Dawson Leery]

11. Keep appointing them Obama!

Let us get that number to 60%.

[SunSeeker]

13. 56% of circuit judges are now Dem?! Best news I heard all year! Thanks. nt

[Orsino]

16. You take away the toy. n/t

[bigtree]

17. .

[corkhead]

18. it worked to get us Michael Boggs

With Democrats like this, who needs Republicans

NARAL Ramps Up Attacks On Obama Nominee Michael Boggs: 'He's Worse Than We Thought'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/06/naral-obama-michael-boggs-abortion_n_5275016.html