Judicial nominations have often been hotly controversial during the Bush era, but not the latest one from Arkansas. It’s been called to our attention that, without a peep in advance that we’ve heard, the Senate Judiciary Committee will have a nomination hearing tomorrow on Magistrate Bobby Shepherd of El Dorado. He’s been nominated to succeed Judge Buzz Arnold, who’s taking senior status, on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. If anyone’s unhappy about Shepherd’s nomination — apart from others who coveted the job — we haven’t heard it. Shepherd enjoys bipartisan support in Arkansas, in addition to considerable backing from the Republican Murphy oil clan.