Judicial nominees

April 10, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Newspaper without scruples

Featured image “Courts Without Judges” reads the headline of an attack on Senate Republicans by the New York Times editorial board. Bemoaning the fact that there 85 vacancies in the federal judiciary, the Times asserts that “by far the most important cause of this unfortunate state of affairs is the determination of Senate Republicans, for reasons of politics, ideology and spite, to confirm as few of President Obama’s judicial choices as possible.” »
March 7, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

How Halligan was halted

Featured image It’s not easy for Senate Republicans successfully to filibuster President Obama’s judicial nominees; nor, in my view, should it be. How, then, did Republicans succeed in blocking Caitlin Halligan’s nomination? The one word answer, if we’re honest, is: guns. It’s not that Halligan’s left-liberalism is confined to Second Amendment issues. It extends to the full range of controversial legal issues as to which she is on record including, most notably, »
March 6, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Halligan halted (Updated)

Featured image I’ve just been informed that the nomination of Caitlin Halligan has been stopped by the Senate. Halligan is President Obama’s left-liberal nominee for a lifetime slot on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Details to follow. In the meantime, I want to thank the Power Line readers who urged Republican Senators to hold the line against this nominee. UPDATE: 51 Senators supported cloture; 41 Senators opposed »
March 5, 2013 — John Hinderaker

No Doubt Where Jeff Sessions Stands on Caitlin Halligan

Featured image Yesterday, Senate bellwether Jeff Sesssions delivered these remarks on the Senate floor regarding D.C. Circuit Court nominee Caitlin Halligan. His indictment of Halligan is scathing, but not intemperate: he cites chapter and verse and is, to my mind, utterly persuasive. Note that at one point Sessions quotes Andy McCarthy, another sign of good judgment: Mr. President, I rise to express my opposition to the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to be »
March 5, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Where does Lindsey Graham stand on Caitlin Halligan?

Featured image Over the weekend, I urged readers to ask Republican Senators to block the nomination of Caitlin Halligan to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. I argued (1) that Halligan’s leftist views — e.g., regarding guns and national security — are outside of the mainstream and (2) that she did not testify candidly during her confirmation hearing. Lindsey Graham was foremost among the Senators I urged readers »
March 3, 2013 — Paul Mirengoff

Please urge Republican Senators to block anti-gun Caitlin Halligan

Featured image Caitlin Halligan is the general counsel for the Manhattan district attorney’s office. President Obama nominated Halligan to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2010. In 2011, she failed a cloture vote by a count of 54 for proceeding with her nomination to 45 vote against. Since then, Obama has re-nominated her four times. But until recently, Harry Reid has not brought her nomination back to the Senate floor for »