Liberals continue to block President Bush’s conservative judicial nominees

Liberals continue to block President Bush’s conservative judicial nominees, hoping they can pack the courts with liberal judges under a potential Democrat administration and a more liberal-leaning Senate. Two weeks ago on the Senate floor, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said, “The majority has stalled judicial confirmation votes longer this year than in any presidential election year since 1848 … This is the latest start to judicial confirmations of any presidential election year in 160 years.” This is no accident.

The federal courts are important, because they are the training grounds for future Supreme Court nominees. There are 12 circuit and 34 district court vacancies. The Senate would have to confirm eight circuit and 19 district court nominees by the end of the year to replicate the confirmation numbers in the last two years of President Bill Clinton’s administration. Last week, Democratic Leader Harry Reid and Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made a deal to confirm three appeals court nominees by Memorial Day. Yet further confirmations are in doubt.

Conservatives need to stay on guard to ensure that the table isn’t set for future nominees who would legislate a “constitutional right” of same-sex “marriage,” take away the right to keep and bear arms, and strike down any mention of God in the public squar