Pat Toomey Insists He's Not Holding Up A Judicial Nominee He's Holding Up

[KamaAina]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/13/pat-toomey-judge-restrepo_n_7277332.html

Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) insisted Wednesday that he's not blocking one of his own judicial nominees for political reasons -- even as he is still refusing to give the Senate Judiciary Committee the green light to give that nominee a hearing.

Toomey has been getting pummeled back home for the Senate's delay in confirming Luis Felipe Restrepo to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit. President Barack Obama nominated Restrepo in November with Toomey's strong support, but the nomination hasn't moved since. In the meantime, the vacancy he would fill has been deemed a "judicial emergency," which means the court is drowning in cases.

The Republican senator is being blamed because he hasn't turned in his "blue slip," an indicator to the Judiciary Committee chairman that Toomey is ready to move forward with the nominee. The committee won't move forward on any nominee until it has the blessing of both home-state senators. Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.) turned in his blue slip for Restrepo in November....

But he fired back at critics Wednesday, saying the only reason he hasn't turned in his blue slip is because the committee is still vetting Restrepo's background.

[Mnemosyne]

1. He's an idiot. Gag. nt