Some Good Judicial Confirmations / More Please!

While the criminal case against Trump is monopolizing headlines, there was unrelated big news this week. Four judicial nominees with impeccable civil rights credentials were confirmed to the federal bench. Four confirmations in a week is good progress, but this is just a start to what the Senate needs to do to make up for lost time. Judge Hernán Vera was originally nominated on September 20, 2021, Judge Dale Ho was nominated on September 30, 2021, Judge Nusrat Choudhury on January 19, 2022, and Judge P. Casey Pitts on September 6, 2022. It should not take the Senate a combined five years plus to confirm four exceptional candidates. Our point is this, nobody benefits from waiting. The Senate needs to pick up its pace in confirmations!

I share the American Constitutional Society's sentiments.  

It is fine for Democrats to celebrate their accomplishments, including legislative successes, nominations, an African-American woman as vice president, and the beginnings of justice coming for Trump's many crimes (and those who worked him in various respects, including the ongoing 1/6 prosecutions).  People at times grumble about them doing too little.

It is great that -- after around two years -- Dale Ho (the voting rights litigator) was confirmed.  Ditto (by the same 50-49 vote, Manchin dissenting, Scott absent) the first Muslim woman on the federal bench.  Three cheers for ACLU representation! Julie Rikelman, a reproductive rights advocate and Ukrainian-American, will soon follow. Two Republicans actually supported her.  

But, we cannot rest on our laurels. The numbers of judicial confirmations are somewhat padded since they are mostly district court slots and from blue states.  And, the Trump side for the mother lode: three Supreme Court justices and the end of abortion rights.  Even if state courts, including now Iowa (if 3-3), are partially still protecting them in various respects.

This is why Dianne Feinstein not retiring and being absent for months is a problem.  It is why Sen. Dick "Let's be reasonable / I'm concerned!" Durbin, Chair of the Judiciary Committee, playing nice (we can't do away with blue slips! We can't try to deal with Tuberville blocking military promotions while he is away, that's bad form!)  is so aggravating.

The Democrats do not have the House and might lose the Senate again after the 2024 elections.  They have to use the power they have to address the situation.  This includes confirming as many people as possible.  It means strongly responding to the Supreme Court's ethics problems, which is not just concerned noises and a bill (eventually) that can be filibustered and/or blocked by the House.  How about subpoenas?  Not just "please" letters!

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Meanwhile, as noted in Around the World in Eighty Days, the U.S. always seems to be having elections. There are some important ones this year, including special House seats, all the way up to governor races.

New York City has local elections.  Today began early voting, which gave me my free pen and sticker along with my civic duty vibes.  And, on the regular primary day, I will do my usual poll worker thing.  Check-in table, 6 AM - 9 PM. 

It is all connected -- power comes in many forms, including local government.  All the same, nothing too big for me.  

The city council race (the one using ranked voting) is the incumbent (fine enough) vs. a bunch of nonentities (no one worth even ranking, including more than one conservative-leaning sort).  

The Bronx district attorney race is a state one and is therefore not subject to rank voting. My DA from what I can tell is doing a decent enough job but from what I read about her opponent, she's good too. She is promoting herself as more liberal.  I voted for her; either will do.  

And, I wait, for more prosecution news and more.