Judicial Nominee Defeated

It came down to the final hours.  Would there be enough support to block the nomination of Goodwin Liu for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit?

The answer is yes. 

The Senate failed to get the 60 votes it needed to end debate on the nomination of Liu, effectively blocking his confirmation.  Liu had been nominated twice for the appeals court slot by President Obama.

This is a victory for the rule of law and a sound defeat for judicial activism.  We're delighted that most Senators understood that the radical philosophy embraced by Goodwin Liu had no place on a federal appeals court. 

The vote reflects the fact that most Senators - and most Americans - want judges who will abide by the Constitution and the rule of law, rather than holding an extreme judicial philosophy that's outside the mainstream of American law. 

The vote also underscores the importance of the Senate's constitutional responsibility of providing 'advice and consent' for judicial nominees.

This vote should send a signal to President Obama that nominees with a lack of experience and a liberal activist philosophy will not be confirmed."

As you know, we produced an analysis of Liu's judicial philosophy and experience and  urged the Senate to reject the nomination.  The analysis is posted here.

Thanks to all of you who picked up the phone and called your Senator, urging the defeat of this nomination.