6th Circuit nominees deserve fair treatment, too

An editorial in yesterday's Detroit News focused attention on the 49 remaining vacancies in the federal judiciary, of which 2 are judgeships in the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. Stephen Joseph Murphy and Raymond M. Kethledge were both nominated initially in June 2006, and then re-nominated in March 2007. Neither of these qualified nominees has been scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

This editorial urges the Senate to "help end judicial emergencies" and rightly points out that

"These nominees don't deserve to be political pawns. While the president's approval rating is low, that of Congress is even lower. Playing politics with judicial nominations isn't likely to change that. Murphy and Kethledge should get a hearing and a vote."