Sonia Sotomayor

Chuck Todd: Republicans Won't Boycott Sotomayor Hearings

Brian Beutler | June 10, 2009, 12:12PM

This morning on MSNBC, Chuck Todd poured some cold water on the suggestion that Republicans might boycott Sonia Sotomayor's confirmation hearings. Or at least he tried.

Todd may be right, but it's worth keeping in mind that Republicans have already boycotted the confirmation hearing of one Obama judicial nominee, and much, much more.

David Hamilton was nominated to serve on the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals in March. Despite a record of moderation, Republicans boycotted his first confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, forcing a second hearing weeks later. After that they delayed a vote to report him out of committee and finally they voted in unison against moving his nomination to the full Senate. And, for good measure, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) is threatening to filibuster him.

Obviously there are important differences between the Appeals Courts and the Supreme Court, but it's probably not worth discounting the lengths to which Senate Republicans will go to drag out a confirmation process if they feel in any way slighted.

James Inhofe

David Hamilton Reported Out Of Judiciary Committee On Party Line Vote

Brian Beutler | June 4, 2009, 12:44PM

With all the news about President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, it's easy to forget that Obama nominated a different judge to a different court before well before Sonia Sotomayor became a household name.

Obama nominated David Hamilton to serve on the Seventh Circuit court of appeals back in March, and, thanks to a number of Republican delays, he has only today been reported out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a party-line 12-7 vote.

Now Hamilton will be exposed to a bright new world of procedural measures meant to obstruct his confirmation. Back in April, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK) said he would filibuster Hamilton once the committee advanced the nomination. "I had to come to the floor to speak so that the American people, who are very concerned about this nomination, will know that I and my Republican colleagues on the Judiciary Committee are taking interest and are not just going to let this nomination sail through," Inhofe said on the Senate floor. "In fact I will filibuster David Hamilton."

That's the same James Inhofe who once called judicial filibusters 'unconstitutional.'

(Incidentally, Hamilton is the brother-in-law of Dawn Johnsen--another Obama nominee who's struggling to get confirmed by the Senate.)