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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Ind. Courts - Senate debate begins on Hamilton [Updated]

At 3:13 PM Senate debate has begun on the cloture motion re consideration of the nomination of David Hamilton to the 7th Circuit. Senator Evan Bayh is the first speaker. Watch on C-SPAN 2.

[5:00 PM] Vote on the motion to proceed with debate on the nomination was approved 70-29.

[More] USA Today now has this brief story. Some quotes:

The Senate voted 70-29 today to end a filibuster threat against one of President Obama's first federal judiciary appointees, David Hamilton of Indiana. * * *

Despite increasingly partisan rhetoric on both sides of the aisle over judiciary appointments in recent years, several Republicans -- including Lugar -- crossed the aisle to vote for Hamilton. A final vote on his nomination could take place later tonight.

[Still More at 5:26] Larry Margasak of the AP has a good story on the implications of the 70 vote total, which included 10 Republican votes. Some quotes:
The 70-29 vote limited debate over the qualifications of U.S. District Judge David Hamilton of Indiana, and assured his elevation to the Chicago-based appeals court. Sixty votes were needed to end the filibuster, but confirmation only requires a simple majority of the 100-member Senate.

Ten Republicans went against their own party leaders and voted to limit debate.

The vote emphatically warned Republicans that with only 40 senators, they're too outnumbered to prevent Obama from making major inroads into a judiciary that was populated over eight years with conservative judges chosen by President George W. Bush.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 17, 2009 03:12 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts