Politics: It's Official--The Senate is Screwed

[via The Carpetbagger] Another one of Bush's judicial nominees was quietly confirmed today. You might remember from back a few weeks ago (back when people were paying attention to this topic) that one of the judges Bush nominated for a lifetime appointment was a guy who had illegally practiced law without a license? "Surely the Dems could get a few Republicans to join and reject that nomination," you probably thought.

Well, you'd be wrong.

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed one of its former lawyers, Thomas S. Griffith, to sit on the U.S. Appeals Court, the sixth judge it has elevated to the federal appellate court in the last month.

If this is the result of the much vaunted "compromise on the filibuster" what the hell did we gain?

Let's not lose sight of some of the details here. Griffith practiced law without a license in Utah for nearly five years, lost his D.C. law license, and passed up 10 opportunities to take the Utah bar exam. (Practicing law without a license is illegal.) Better yet, the American Bar Association gave Griffith the lowest possible passing grade for a judicial nominee. Just last fall, Pat Leahy saw this nomination going nowhere.

"This is a man who practiced law in two states in violation of the laws — what a fine, fine standard the White House has" for judicial nominees, Leahy said. "In my state he would be prosecuted. I've never seen anything so unbelievable."

Not only did the "Compromise" specifically let Bush's three most odious nominees get votes to be confirmed, everyone else is waltzing up for their lifetime appointments as well. This guy Griffith was clearly a candidate for at least a Dem "Nay" sweep. He practiced law illegally in DC and Utah fer crissakes!! He should have been disbarred if not prosecuted. Yet this is the kind of guy Bush sees fit to nominate, and he easily passes with 73 votes. 20 of them from Democrats!

Send all those goddamn clowns in the Senate home. Just have Bush draw up whatever he wants on the White House stationary and just make it official himself. Save us the tax money wasted on this chamber of fucking idiot rubber stamps.