Will Obama Nominate Bush Holdovers?

By Seth Stern | January 27, 2009 11:18 AM | | Comments (0)

Conservative activists would like President Obama to make good on his promises of bipartisanship and resubmit some judicial nominees first put forward by his Republican predecessor.

They cite the precedent set by President Bush, who included among his first batch of appeals court nominees two Clinton holdovers: Barrington Parker, who now sits on the Second Circuit and Roger Gregory, who is on the Fourth Circuit.

Potential names put forward by conservatives include Paul S. Diamond, a district court judge in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania who Bush nominated to the Third Circuit, and Rod Rosenstein, the U.S. Attorney in Baltimore, who Bush nominated to the Fourth Circuit.

Not surprisingly, the idea is a non-starter with liberal activists, who say Bush tilted the federal courts too far to the right.

And Sen. Barbara Mikulski, who would get to weigh in on the Maryland Fourth Circuit seat Rosenstein would occupy, doesn't sound any more enthusiastic.

"It's time to turn the page," Mikulski said Jan. 26.

Her fellow Maryland Democrat Benjamin Cardin says he's deferring to the Obama administration on who it nominates.

More from CQ Politics

Tags: judicial nominations

Post A Comment


(for verification only; will not be published with your comment)