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Monday, November 16, 2009

Courts - "A showdown is set for Tuesday with Judge David Hamilton's nomination"

Here is a companion to the story posted here yesterday from The Hill. David G. Savage of the LA Tmes reports today in a story headed: "For Obama judicial nominees, confirmation is slow process: Senate Republicans have quietly used their minority power to block candidates to the lower federal courts. A showdown is set for Tuesday with Judge David Hamilton's nomination." A quote from the long story:

But liberal activists have voiced growing irritation that Republicans are quietly using their minority power to block Senate votes on Obama's judicial nominees. They note that during the Bush administration, Republicans insisted the president's nominees deserved up-or-down votes. * * *

The dispute is due to come to a head Tuesday, when the Senate votes on whether to cut off debate on Judge David F. Hamilton of Indiana, Obama's first court nominee.

In mid-March, the White House trumpeted Hamilton’s nomination to the U.S. 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago and cited the choice as an example of "setting a new tone" and putting "the confirmation wars behind us."

A veteran trial judge with the reputation of a moderate, Hamilton was the son and grandson of Methodist ministers in southern Indiana. The state's well-respected Republican Sen. Richard G. Lugar also said he "enthusiastically supported" the nomination.

But Hamilton ran into a buzz saw of criticism from conservative activists in Washington. They noted he had worked for the American Civil Liberties Union before becoming a judge in 1994.

[More] See this lengthy Nov. 14th story by Charlie Savage in the NY Times, headlined "Obama Backers Fear Opportunities to Reshape Judiciary Are Slipping Away."

Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 16, 2009 07:50 AM
Posted to Courts in general