How Republicans Can Still Block Obama's Judges: Blue Slips

[Tx4obama]

November 27, 2013, 6:00 AM EST

How Republicans Can Still Block Obama's Judges: Blue Slips

Senate Democrats snatched the GOP's most potent weapon for blocking President Barack Obama's judges last week when they executed the "nuclear option" and eliminated the 60-vote threshold to advance non-Supreme Court nominees. But there's another, more obscure tactic Republicans can use to block Obama's attempts to fill the dozens of remaining judicial vacancies. It's called the "blue slip" policy.

The blue slip is an old tradition, dating back to at least 1917, that lets senators have a say on which judges are appointed to courts in their home state. The way it works is that when a judge is nominated, the Judiciary Committee sends a "blue slip" to home state senators seeking their approval. If they sign off, the committee moves forward with the nomination. If one or both of them disapproves or withholds the blue slip, the nomination tends to grind to a halt.

The White House contends that the blue slip policy remains an impediment to appointing judges. Given the Senate's adherence to the tradition, Obama prefers not to nominate individuals and put them through the tough process unless they're pre-approved by home state senators. Most of the 42 district and appellate court vacancies without nominees are in states with GOP senators. In Texas, for instance, there are seven judicial vacancies with no nominees.

"The reality is we face is that the blue slip rule can be more problematic than the filibuster, in part because it is a silent, unaccountable veto," an administration official familiar with Obama's thinking on judicial nominations told TPM.

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Full article here: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/how-republicans-can-still-block-obama-judges

[PeteSelman]

1. There is no end to the arcane rules to ratfuck.

Who comes up with this craziness?

[defacto7]

2. It's always something.

[leftyohiolib]

3. the repubs would call this an old out-dated rule and would have already move to change it

[greymattermom]

4. no justice for corporations, either then

So it's open season on corporations located in red states, then? Do whatever you want, any case against you will be delayed for decades? Or do I have this strategy wrong, somehow.

[blkmusclmachine]

5. Why is it that the rules only apply to Democrats?!!

[davidpdx]

6. Fuck them

If a senator doesn't want to weigh-in on the nomination, then they get vote on the floor. Push them out of the committee anyway. If no nominees are chosen, choose one for them. A nice liberal one.