Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Bar association has slowed Obama appointments

Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Nov 22, 2011 at 1:18 PM

Can't say with a certainty that the following was a factor in the slow pace of Arkansas federal judicial nominations (in one case, three names initially recommended by U.S. senators were rejected for a new slate), but this New York Times report is interesting for some insight on slow progress of Obama administration nominations generally. Federal judges are the lasting monuments to a presidency, for better or worse.

The American Bar Association has secretly declared a significant number of President Obama’s potential judicial nominees “not qualified,” slowing White House efforts to fill vacant judgeships — and nearly all of the prospects given poor ratings were women or members of an ethnic minority group, according to interviews.

The White House has chosen not to nominate any person the bar association deemed unqualified, so the pattern of negative ratings has not been made public. But the association’s judicial vetting committee has opposed 14 of the roughly 185 potential nominees the administration asked it to evaluate, according to a person familiar with the matter.

This rejection rate is much higher than that experienced in Bush or Clinton administrations, the article says.

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Speaking of President Obama, federal Judgeships

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That is because the purpose of these appointments is not to fill federal judgships based on some semblance of merit but to pay homage to de facto quotas as payoff to 'special privilege' groups. I admit to some surprise that the ABA would so declare even though it was done under the cloak of secrecy. They must be pretty bad. Oh, well, they can always run them as democrat candidates for the Senate.

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Posted by SHolmes on 11/22/2011 at 1:46 PM

I bet the committee of the ABA that makes these decisons is "lilly white".

And Holmes, I would expect a president who taught at a law school has a pretty good idea of what he wants but then again, they must come through the state's senators who aren't exactly known as the sharpest pencil in the box. Remember that Mark Pryor said that there was no IQ test for Senator and we know that there must be an upper limit of 85 or so to be in the House.

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Posted by couldn't be better on 11/22/2011 at 3:22 PM

These 'lilly white' people that you refer to gave a 'recommended' to the last two 'special privilege' nominees of obama that were approved by that other fairly 'lilly white' body called the Senate. Care to revise your comments?

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Posted by SHolmes on 11/22/2011 at 3:40 PM

The bro be takin care of the bros..makin sure they bees jerdges,,,even tho they cant spell CAT !!!

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Posted by November on 11/22/2011 at 4:58 PM

The bro be takin care of the bros..makin sure they bees jerdges,,,even tho they cant spell CAT !!!

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Posted by November on 11/22/2011 at 4:58 PM
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