Chuck Grassley rips up “blue slip” stall, Al Franken left groping for alternative delay tactic
Clearing the way for Trump to continue reshaping the federal judiciary.
I recently noted frustration with Democrat delay tactics for judicial nominations, including the withholding of “blue slips” to prevent confirmation proceedings to proceed, Trump judicial confirmations moving along, but not fast enough:
Every single vacant seat should be filled as quickly as possible. Some progress is not good enough. Grassley and McConnell need to clear all roadblocks, and Trump needs to fill the pipeline.
It looks like Grassley finally is getting the message, as Politico reports:
Grassley says he has scheduled hearings for David Stras, a nominee to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.), Stras’ home-state senator, said earlier this year that he would not return the so-called blue slip for Stras because of his conservative ideology.
“The Democrats seriously regret that they abolished the filibuster, as I warned them they would,” Grassley said in his floor speech. “But they can’t expect to use the blue slip courtesy in its place. That’s not what the blue slip is meant for.”
The blue slip asks whether a senator approves or disapproves of a nominee.
Refusing to allow withholding of a blue slip to turn into the functional equivalent of a filibuster makes sense, since Democrats ripped up the judicial filibuster in 2013.
Republican Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) also withheld a blue slip on a nominee, but made clear he didn’t oppose hearings moving forward:
“Senator Kennedy expressed that, while he is undecided on Mr. Duncan’s nomination, he does not oppose a hearing for Mr. Duncan,” Grassley said Thursday. “This is the correct distinction a senator should make when deciding whether to return a blue slip. The blue slip is not meant to signify the senator’s ultimate support or opposition to the nominee. It only expresses the senator’s view about whether the nominee should get a hearing.”
Grassley’s move likely left Franken groping for some other way to delay the confirmation of conservative judicial nominees.
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Comments
GOOD…!!!
AND about flucking time…!!!
See we do agree on some things! 🙂
Many, I expect.
It’s the right move, but it’s strange that it comes only after Franken finds himself under attack. Makes me wonder if that had anything to do with Grassley’s reversal.
Well, the Democrats whole playbook is piling on someone who is down.
If the Republicans will ever copy that tactic, they couldn’t have chosen a better target – Al (not at all funny) Franken.
Franken’s problems gave Grassey cover to do the right thing.
Powerline Blog, another lawyer blog, but out of MN, has been following this closely and has been publishing Grassley’s thinking, including a truly excellent history of the blue slip prepared by Grassley’s staff.
I see what you did there. 😉
glad someone appreciates my linguistic artistry
One of the reasons we visit ????
“I saw it with my own two eyes” 😀 😀
“Grassley’s move likely left Franken groping for some other way…”
When you send in a boy to do a man’s job…
I suspect the upcoming elections may have more to do with ditching the “blue slips”.
When is Grassley up for re-election?
… Al Franken / Groping, nice play on words. 🙂
So, this silly “blue slip” thing is still in place.
Grassley’s blowing it off (or “reinterpreting” it) this time, probably because recent events present a good opportunity to give Franken a well-deserved kick in the gonads.
But the blue slip monster is still there, lurking.
But Whoopi Goldberg says it wasn’t a grope grope.
I doubt Whoopie knows what a boob grope is except when she and Behar grapple in the dressing room.
That’s not a grope, that’s a reach around.
But could it have been an group grope?
Some hypocrite, huh?
GMTA. I said the very same thing at another site.
I have to say, I have always found Al Franken to be one of the unfunniest comedians I gave ever seen. Like watching a dentist clean teeth.
Well it would seem that Senator Al is used to Groping, it really shouldn’t be that difficult for him.
Sen. Grassley gave them nine months to behave like Senators with responsibilities and consciences. They declined. Now the party’s over, and they did it to themselves.
Senator Fish Lips