Bush Disses Webb and Warner

By: Lowell
Published On: 9/6/2007 6:26:00 PM

From Sen. Webb's office...
Webb Responds to White House's Nomination of Duncan Getchell

Washington, DC - Senator Jim Webb today responded to the White House nomination of Duncan Getchell for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. After an extensive search to find highly qualified Virginians to fill the two vacancies, Senators Warner and Webb sent five recommended candidates to the White House. Duncan Getchell was not on this list.

"In the spirit of bipartisanship, Senator Warner and I submitted a list of five exemplary candidates to the White House whom this body could support. In an effort to fill the Virginia vacancies on the Fourth Circuit as quickly as possible, we undertook an open and extensive search to find five individuals whom we deemed eminently qualified. 

[...]

"At the end of this process, Senator Warner and I submitted five outstanding candidates to the President...

"Today, despite our good faith, bipartisan effort to accommodate the President, the recommendations that Senator Warner and I made have been ignored. The White House talks about the spirit of bipartisanship, lamenting congressional obstructionism.  The White House cannot expect to complain about the confirmation of federal judges when they proceed to act in this manner."

Slam!

Comments



Delicious (tx2vadem - 9/6/2007 6:43:19 PM)
I am reminded of how Republicans in Congress at the end of Clinton's term just sat on nominations and allowed the positions to remain vacant.  Now Democrats are in the same position, and I say: Awesome!

There is certainly no rush to fill vacancies on the 4th Circuit.  Finally, the venue of choice for this administration is evenly balanced between reactionaries and progressives.  And it is sweet.  Why mess with something so right?  A sensible 4th Circuit, it's lovely.

Keep up the good work!



Careerism, Cronyism, Arrogance and Hubris (ub40fan - 9/6/2007 8:34:10 PM)
Did we ever expect the JackAss we call Dubya would change his Modis Operandi??? I wouldn't want to be Duncan Getchall ... Georgie's Boy. I hope the Senate is comprehensive in it's inquiry to his "Qualifications".


No nuclear options now (AnonymousIsAWoman - 9/6/2007 8:39:06 PM)
And no need for a filibuster either.  I'd say, just sit on this one.  And any other right wing nutter nominations.  It's time to run the clock down, just like the Republicans did to Clinton nominees.  And if they whine - which you know they will - just say "double standard anybody?


Definitely, if Bush is going to act like this (Lowell - 9/6/2007 8:43:01 PM)
then just run out the clock.  It's really stupid on Bush's part, because instead of getting mainstream conservative judges he'll end up getting...nothing. 


Argh! (legacyofmarshall - 9/6/2007 10:31:47 PM)
As much as I hate Bush's insult to our fine senators, it's his loss.  The senate won't pass his pick when they hear neither VA Senator approves of it, and in 2 years there will be two Democratic senators from Virginia and a Democratic president so they can appoint Mary Sue Terry to the bench if they so please.


Think Progress is covering this. This would be funny if it (beachmom - 9/7/2007 5:41:23 PM)
weren't so ridiculous:

Bush acting like George Allen is still a senator.

Yesterday, President Bush nominated E. Duncan Getchell, Jr for a seat on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia. Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) issued a statement criticizing the appointment, noting that Getchell was not on a list of nominees recommended by him and Sen. John Warner (R-VA). Instead, President Bush relied on an outdated list created by Warner and former Sen. George Allen (R-VA), whom Webb defeated in 2006:

Warner and then-Sen. George Allen, R-Va., recommended him on a list sent to the White House last year.

Vindictiveness or ineptness?  I'm torn as to which one it is.



Link to Think Progress: (beachmom - 9/7/2007 5:41:59 PM)
http://thinkprogress...


Probably both. (Lowell - 9/7/2007 5:41:59 PM)
Pathetic.


Now that's (Alicia - 9/7/2007 9:00:01 PM)
high school politics.


Not very pragmatic on Bush's part (Quizzical - 9/7/2007 6:07:04 PM)
There was nothing wrong with the candidates proposed by Warner and Webb:

Virginia Supreme Court Justice G. Steven Agee;
Virginia Supreme Court Justice Donald W. Lemons;
Charlottesville attorney Thomas E. Albro;
US District Judge Glen E. Conrad; and
University of Richmond law professor John G. Douglass.