The federal Senate Judiciary Committee sent back a couple of President Barack Obama's federal judicial appointees in Texas' Southern District, contributing to already growing immigration case backlogs there, with Texas Sen. John Cornyn opposing them along party lines.
Similarly, nearly two years into Obama's presidency, one wonders when the hell Texas will ever get any new US Attorneys? Given gridlock in the Senate and Cornyn's steadfast opposition on the Judiciary Committee, I wouldn't be surprised to see the 2012 election cycle come and go without Texas ever having anyone appointed to those posts. At this point, anyone who took the USA job would just be getting the office furniture re-arranged when the next national election cycle comes up and they could (and judging from 2010, arguably would) lose the job. What masochist would even subject themselves to that? And what kind of "tuff on crime" conservative would rather see federal prosecutors' jobs go unfilled than give the president a "win"? Thanks for nothing, Sen. Cornyn.
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19 comments:
I can't believe they kicked back Marina Marmalejo for Judge in the Southern District---what idiots!! Too much political partisanship---that's probably why American citizens are fed up with the government. I still can't believe all those Republicans were voted into office---"Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..." (apologies to Pete Townshend)
I don't care for other party but it seems like the job is getting done without these appointments. If that's the case, why do we need the positions filled? It seems like a way to save money too!
I think this is kind of a red herring; a far more pressing issue is that of federal judicial pay, which Chief Justice Roberts has unsuccessfully sought to address for several years.
Better to have the pay scale improved to retain experienced judges than rush ahead confirming anyone who is nominated just to fill vacancies.
Prison Doc, what does it matter how much they pay judges if they don't appoint any? They've long ago been designated as in "emergency" status because of case backlogs in the Southern District. Should they just not hear cases ... until ... when, exactly? Folks in South Texas pay taxes, too.
And just remember, if you're okay with them leaving judges slots vacant in Texas' Southern District for years on end, that's fine ... just be sure not to complain about the feds failing to deport Mexicans fast enough. You can't BOTH say you want to deport illegal immigrants AND fail to fill judges slots to do the deporting, at least without coming off just a tad hypocritical.
It's not too often I take aim...but goddamn no-good piece of shit John Cornyn has to go. That fucking piece of garbage has no business in the US Senate. He doestn't represent anyone but the small minority of culture warriors who spend money like drunken sailors and then go on to whine about "culture" issues like immigration and gay rights.
What a comple dooshbag.
Hey, Sen Cornyn, if you are so worried about 'preaching in the public square' then get out there and do it.
But you won't becase you're a total doosh like every teabagger.
Suck my dick, moron.
Anyone know if they have appointed a US Marshal for the Southern District?
When are you going to clean up your blog of profane comments like those made by Zeety?
9:18, I agree zeety was obnoxious and out of line, but Cornyn is a public figure. I do delete such diatribes when they're aimed at private individuals who aren't named in a post, but a) consider public figures fair game (short of libel) and b) simply don't have time or resources to vet all comments. Comment moderation is a lot of work, given the volume Grits receives, and when I have time to spend on the blog, I'd rather write than censor. Zeety's approach in that comment discredits itself, it doesn't need my judgment piled onto it.
I believe it was Grits who once commented something to the effect of "elections have consequences." Like it or not, Texas is a conservative state. The November election just reenforces this notion. The overwhelming majority of Texans support the Republican Party and oppose the Obama agenda. You liberals can whine and bitch about it all you like, but Cornyn and Hutchison were elected by overwhelming majorities and one of their jobs is to protect Texans from the appointment of a bunch of liberal federal judges who feel it's their prerogative to legislate socialist policies from the bench. Thank you to our Republican Senators for standing in the gap between us and a bunch of 9th Circuit "California style" jurists. If memory serves, it was the Democratic Party who initiated the contemporary politicization of judicial confirmations with their opposition to the Bork nomination. It's been that way ever since. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. So, to all of you bleeding hearts who are upset because you can't get federal judges appointed in this state to help you accomplish what you can't accomplish for yourself at the ballot box (and since Grits isn't filtering posts): Tuff Sh!t!!!! Happy New Year everyone!
Cornyn knows most folks are taken in by the "Republican" shill team. He's just hedging bets, but as a team they do the partisanshit where they can--after being drummed out of CONgress the last couple years.
Keep in mind, neither the Reps nor Dems are any damned good. Even lower folks in the Parties keep hoping their Parties will survive, and that's a shame.
The test will be if the new CONgress repeals some of the lame duck crap, the Health Scare and so on.
Do you recall when the Clintons became presidents, and fired all 50 US Attys? There would be NO Mena/Bush investigation.
We are so manipulated all we can do is argue about it---while those usurpers who own us run full steam amok. They force taxes, fees & fines to use against us.
11:00, you're right, elections have consequences. (Not my line, but it's true.) If one of those consequence is that Texas Southern District gets no judges, I assume you'll be okay if we just don't deport illegal immigrants because there's no one to hear their cases, right? Instead the feds can just pay to detain them for years or let them go.
I hear lots of complaints that the feds won't secure the border, but doing so is a criminal justice function that can't be accomplished without prosecutors and judges. On that score, Cornyn (and he's not alone) is talking out of both sides of his mouth.
It was Cornyn who opposed a Native American casino when he was Attorney General and who will likely stay mute on gambling when it comes up this session. It was Cornyn who had those cheesey ads on top of a mountain denouncing partisan bickering. Take your pick on many issues Cornyn has become an over top party hack who is a hippocritical but expects you to overlook that. His ad was nothing more than a lie about who he is and his lack of a common sense bipartisan approach. Judges were approved regularly in the past. We really need judges that are not afraid to follow the all the laws, including the 4th amendment laws about search and seizure. Jurists in the 9th Circuit that have issued controversial opinions were often following the law. It is usually the idea of the exclusionary rule that conservatives target in an effort to hide the fact that there are a lot of lieing crooked cops. Yes Cornyn must go! Too bad Saturday night live didn't have a skit about the lieing nature of Cornyn's campaign ads and expose him for his slithering deceit. Our criminal laws have been raped by right wing activist Judges, some of whom, unethically admit privately what they are 'going to do' to Defendants with a clear agenda to ignore laws to satisfy that agenda.
Yeah and it was Cornyn as AG who made Tom Coleman lawyer of the year back in 1999 for his outstanding service in the Tulia drug sting. It was Cornyn who refused to disown what he had done when the Tulia fiasco was finally shown to be just that.
Rev. Charles in Tulia
Correction: Cornyn made Coleman "Lawman of the Year," not lawyer of the year.
Happy New Year Grits and all
Rev. Charles in Tulia
Go Obama!
zeety's correct, just emphatic. Cornyn is a whore for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the peasants with pitchforks. Nothing matters, least of all what's right or the Truth.
Seems to reinforce the idea that maybe an IQ test to vote would help some- or maybe having an electorate that does something beside drool and look at foKKKs 'news' for their news.
BTW, Prison Doc mentioned Chief Justice John Roberts advocating higher judicial pay, but lately the Chief Justice has also been pushing Obama and the Senate to solve "the persistent problem of judicial vacancies." I guess he's just "upset because [he] can't get federal judges appointed in this state to help [him] accomplish what [he] can't accomplish ... at the ballot box."
Grits said:
"If one of those consequence is that Texas Southern District gets no judges, I assume you'll be okay if we just don't deport illegal immigrants because there's no one to hear their cases, right? Instead the feds can just pay to detain them for years or let them go."
I hate to tell you Grits, but my local county authorities have been told by ICE not to even bother detaining illegals unless they commit a crime. Then, just to deal with them under the local laws. So, what's the point in spending money on the new judges to deal with illegals?
11:51, wow, you really missed the point. Why do you think ICE says that?!!!! If they can't process their existing cases, ICE can't do anything with them but spend $50 per day on contract detention for years on end. The thing you're complaining about is PRECISELY why Roberts wants more judges! Geez! The cognitive dissonance on some of these immigration issues is just stunning.
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