re: #11 JordanRules
The Senate is about to confirm Trumpâs SIXTEENTH appeals court judge: Kurt Engelhardt, another staunch conservative, to the 5th Circuit.
Reshaping the courts will probably be Trumpâs biggest legacy
this is undoubtedly true
still, i found some comfort in this article on electoral-vote yesterday
blue slip rule is dead
One area in which Trump has been very successful is appointing conservative judges, especially to the appeals courts. He has already gotten 15 of his nominations through the Senate, with more to come. Majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has said he will keep the Senate in session after the election to approve more judges as a hedge against Democrats taking control of the upper chamber and blocking Trumpâs appointments starting in January.
Of course, what is happening here is that Trump and his party are putting short term gain ahead of long-term pain. It is true that the conservatives Trump appoints will linger for a long time; three or four (or even five) decades in some cases (the most senior judge currently serving, Manuel Real, was appointed by LBJ in 1966). However, it is also the case that federal judges retire at the rate of about 45 per year. In recent years, Republican presidents have tended to favor fire-breathing conservatives (think: Neil Gorsuch), while Democrats have tended to favor moderate choices more likely to make it through the process (think: Merrick Garland). Not universally true, but generally true.
What this means is that the GOP doesnât have as much space to move the judiciary rightward as the Democrats have to move it leftward. And perhaps as soon as 2020, the Democrats could have the trifecta the Republicans currently enjoy. When that comes to pass, get ready for a stream of young, left-leaning judgesâ30 or 40 or 50 a yearâso pinko that they make Lenin look like Ronald Reagan. We shall see how, for example, Alabamians feel when key judicial matters are being decided by a 35-year-old black lesbian atheist from San Francisco
my bold