Ratings Shrink President’s List for Judgeships

NYT ^ | 11-23-11 | CHARLIE SAVAGE

[afraidfortherepublic]

WASHINGTON — 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 a minority group, according to interviews.

The White House has chosen not to nominate any person the bar association deemed unqualified, so their identities and negative ratings have 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.

The number of Obama prospects deemed “not qualified” already exceeds the total number opposed by the group during the eight-year administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush; the rejection rate is more than three and a half times as high as it was under either of the previous two presidencies, documents and interviews show.

[Williams]

I’ve encountered even some of Clinton’s judges and oh, brother! We are talking egotistical dopes.

[Verginius Rufus]

Besides the 14, there were 2 more they judged "not qualified" but upgraded after pressure from the White House. Of the 16, only one was a white male. Almost 10% of the Obama nominations were such that the ABA didn't find qualified.

Who knew that the ABA was so opposed to diversity?

[Signalman]

How did Kagan and Sotomayor slip through? They’re definitely not qualified to be on the USSC.