After holding up a Supreme Court nominee for six years, Jersey Dems can't complain

The Star Ledger ^ | February 15, 2016 | Paul Mulshine

[SMGFan]

The recent death of Jersey-born Antonin Scalia leaves the nation's highest court with just one justice born in Trenton, Sam Alito (who has a coffee blend named after him at Ward's in Newark).

I suspect the rest of the country doesn't really care about that.

What they do care about is the fight over whether the Republicans can keep that seat open until the new president takes office 11 months from now.

Of course they can - at least if the actions of New Jersey's Democrats are any example.

State Senate President Steve Sweeney has kept a seat on our seven-member Supreme Court open for almost six years thanks to a tiff with Republican Gov. Chris Christie.

[SeekAndFind]

George W. Bush nominated the eminently qualified Miguel Estrada to a position on the United States Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on May 9, 2001. He received a unanimous “well-qualified” rating from the American Bar Association.

Democratic Senators opposed the nomination.

Leaked internal memos to Democratic Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin mention liberal interest groups’ desire to keep Estrada off the court partially because “he is Latino,” and because of his potential to be a future Supreme Court nominee.

Democrats argued that Estrada had extreme right-wing views, although others pointed to Estrada’s difference with some conservatives on Commerce Clause issues

On March 6, 2003, there was the first of seven failed cloture votes on Estrada.

Fifty-five senators voted to end debate on his nomination and allow a final confirmation vote, and forty-four senators voted not to end debate.

After twenty-eight freaking months in political limbo and a protracted six-month battle using the filibuster, Estrada withdrew his name from further consideration on September 4, 2003a protracted six-month battle using the filibuster.

Estrada withdrew his name from further consideration on September 4, 2003.

REMEMBER THAT !!! Bush wasn’t even a lame duck President then.

[DoughtyOne]

[11th_VA]

I was channel surfing and stopped on MSNBC - the talking head blatantly said Obama should nominate Lorreta Lynch to rile up blacks for the November election. They’re not even ashamed of their motives any more.