Glenn Sugameli: Johnson is only freshman GOP senator blocking own state’s judicial nominees
Dear Editor: Your recent editorial, “Ron Johnson represents Alabama better than Wisconsin,” aptlycompares obstruction of President Obama’s judicial nominees byRepublican U.S. Sens. Johnson of Wisconsin and Jeff Sessions ofAlabama.
Johnson’s extremism, however, is worse than implied by theeditorial’s comparison to “Sessions and his allies from the statesof the old Confederacy.” In general, GOP senators from those stateshave strongly supported Obama’s Circuit Court of Appeals anddistrict court nominees from their home states.
For example, Mississippi’s GOP senators repeatedly pressuredSenate leaders and publicly denounced lengthy delays to confirmJames E. Graves Jr. (5th Circuit) and Carlton Reeves (districtcourt). North Carolina senators’ bipartisan pressure secureddelayed approvals of their state’s district court and two 4thCircuit nominees, James Wynn and Albert Diaz. Tennessee Sen. LamarAlexander’s speech urging a floor vote led to Jane Stranch’s 6thCircuit confirmation.
In January, President Obama resubmitted 12 nominees forjudgeships from six states with freshmen Republican senators. Notonly is Johnson the only one who has not supported his state’snominees, he is preventing the Senate from even considering bothVictoria Nourse (7th Circuit) and Louis Butler (Western District of Wisconsin).
Glenn Sugameli
head of Judging the Environment project of Defenders ofWildlife
Glenn Sugameli: Johnson is only freshman GOP senator blocking own state’s judicial nominees
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