Judges Battle & 2008 Election

This week, a flurry of articles on judicial nominees emphasized two themes:

1) The battle over judges is heating up now that GOP senators are ready to play hardball.

2) Judicial nominations will be a major issue in the 2008 election.

Here are some excerpts from Hill, Politico, Legal Times, and James Oliphant articles:

2008 Election

"Conservative activist leaders and Senate Republicans are reaching out to bring McCain back to the Senate and talk about the [judges] issue on the campaign trail, saying doing so would bring a national spotlight to the stalemate" – The Hill

"The issue [of judicial nominees] is almost certain to emerge in the presidential campaign, according to interest groups." – Legal Times

"The last time there was a major showdown on judges, the Senate moved to the brink of a shutdown, and conservative blogs and talk shows were ablaze with rhetoric over Democratic intransigence. ‘It’s something people care about,’ said Stewart, McConnell’s spokesman." – Politico

The Coming Battle

"Almost three years after the Senate confirmed two Supreme Court justices … tensions are again rising over judicial nominations. Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.) Monday threw down the gauntlet on behalf of Republicans." – James Oliphant, Chicago Tribune

"'The fact is that we can play a political game—if they really want to play the political game on judges, Republicans will win,' said Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.), a Judiciary Committee member, who said that the time for 'playing nice' had passed. … Specter and other Republicans said a range of parliamentary tactics are on the table, including objecting to unanimous consent requests to allow committees to meet, prohibiting routine business on the Senate floor and denying quorums at Judiciary Committee meetings." – The Hill