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| Goodwin Liu testifies before Senate Judiciary Committee, which reported out his nomination to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals by a 10-8 vote |
These two nominations are being followed carefully by MadProfessah and other progressives around the country because Oetken is the first openly gay man ever to be nominated to a federal District Court judgeship and Liu is an Asian-American, progressive legal star, currently a professor at UC Berkeley Law School. The Oetken nomination looks like it will sail through the Senate but the Republicans are terrified that if they allow the 39-year-old Liu on the appellate court he could be nominated for the United States Supreme Court in Obama's second term and seem determine to filibuster the nomination to death.
From the Washington Times:
The Liu debate extends far beyond Capitol Hill, as liberal and conservative groups see the nomination fight as a crucial test of the president’s ability to put his stamp on the nation’s judiciary.
Curt Levey, executive director of the conservative Committee for Justice, called Mr. Liu “the worst of Obama’s nominees at all levels of the federal courts.”
Nan Aron, president of the liberal Alliance for Justice, in contrast called Mr. Liu “one of the finest legal minds of his generation” who deserves a swift yes vote on the Senate floor.
Whether that vote happens, however, is uncertain. Democrats control only 53 of the Senate’s 100 seats — seven fewer than needed to guarantee an override of a Republican filibuster. A handful of moderate Democrats facing tough re-election battles also may be tempted to join a GOP filibuster of Mr. Liu.We shall see what happens but at least there are more than 18 months until the end of this Congress so time is on Liu's side.
