Comments on: Brethren at the Bar and the Senate Confirmation Process http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:55:04 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Cynthia Kouril http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999372 Cynthia Kouril Mon, 19 Oct 2009 12:20:27 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999372 Who said aything about HAVING skeletons int he closet that have to be hidden from the Senate. I said that long delayes in the process create the false impression that there is a problem with the nominee. Judge Lynch had over 90 votes inthe senate. There was obviously no problem with his nomination. Hell, he was a sitting judge who had previously been confirmed by the Senate. Yet they held up his vote for 3 months. Nomiees deseerve up or down votes, promptly. And how did taking a pay cut to do public service become a bad thing? Some people consider that an act of patriot sacrifice Who said aything about HAVING skeletons int he closet that have to be hidden from the Senate.

I said that long delayes in the process create the false impression that there is a problem with the nominee.

Judge Lynch had over 90 votes inthe senate. There was obviously no problem with his nomination. Hell, he was a sitting judge who had previously been confirmed by the Senate.

Yet they held up his vote for 3 months. Nomiees deseerve up or down votes, promptly.

And how did taking a pay cut to do public service become a bad thing? Some people consider that an act of patriot sacrifice

]]> By: Auduboner http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999272 Auduboner Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:39:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999272 That's been my experience as well. The point is, anyone who has to give up his/her seven-figure income to sit on the bench? Isn't morally fit to sit on the bench. I have absolutely no sympathy with them at all. They are as responsible for the mess we are in as anyone else, possibly moreso, since every questionable financial deal that eventually turned to shit was blessed by one of your White Shoe angels. Feh. There are plenty of qualified lawyers in public service who would WELCOME the opportunity to serve on the bench, and have no skeletons in their practic closet they have to worry about hiding from Senate scrutiny. The failure here is the Administration's selection of more Wall Street hacks, just in this case it's from Snatcha Profit et al., rather than Goldman Sachs. That’s been my experience as well.

The point is, anyone who has to give up his/her seven-figure income to sit on the bench? Isn’t morally fit to sit on the bench. I have absolutely no sympathy with them at all. They are as responsible for the mess we are in as anyone else, possibly moreso, since every questionable financial deal that eventually turned to shit was blessed by one of your White Shoe angels. Feh.

There are plenty of qualified lawyers in public service who would WELCOME the opportunity to serve on the bench, and have no skeletons in their practic closet they have to worry about hiding from Senate scrutiny. The failure here is the Administration’s selection of more Wall Street hacks, just in this case it’s from Snatcha Profit et al., rather than Goldman Sachs.

]]> By: Auduboner http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999271 Auduboner Mon, 19 Oct 2009 05:37:13 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999271 In what world are you speaking, 10 and 12? Preparation might mean something in the actual trial, but actual litigation from complaint to enforcing judgment is 98% process, and maybe 2% trial. The vaunted "white shoes" tend be ruthless, relentless, dishonest, and amoral in the muck and mire that comprises litigation, no matter how well they dress in front of the judge. And if they are corporate defense counsel, they are as good at running up their own clients' bills as they are at obstructing and delaying. They have no interest whatsoever in getting at the truth, only in winning - and billing the hell out of the client while doing so. And that's from 25 years of direct observation. What you got, pal? I don't want ANY of them on the bench. In what world are you speaking, 10 and 12? Preparation might mean something in the actual trial, but actual litigation from complaint to enforcing judgment is 98% process, and maybe 2% trial. The vaunted “white shoes” tend be ruthless, relentless, dishonest, and amoral in the muck and mire that comprises litigation, no matter how well they dress in front of the judge. And if they are corporate defense counsel, they are as good at running up their own clients’ bills as they are at obstructing and delaying. They have no interest whatsoever in getting at the truth, only in winning – and billing the hell out of the client while doing so. And that’s from 25 years of direct observation. What you got, pal?

I don’t want ANY of them on the bench.

]]> By: bgrothus http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999075 bgrothus Mon, 19 Oct 2009 02:09:08 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999075 Thank you for the timely column, Cynthia, and the insights. Our country is a mess. You'd think this would be a real priority for Obama, but I guess nominations have become "many Vietnams." Thank you for the timely column, Cynthia, and the insights. Our country is a mess. You’d think this would be a real priority for Obama, but I guess nominations have become “many Vietnams.”

]]> By: pineywoodsfats http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999023 pineywoodsfats Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:35:50 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999023 Oh, I know public interest lawyers practice at the top of their profession, and to my tastes, most white shoe lawyers practice at the bottom. And while I understand that there are decent judges, for every public interest lawyer on the federal bench, there are a hundred of the corporate, political hacks. Oh, I know public interest lawyers practice at the top of their profession, and to my tastes, most white shoe lawyers practice at the bottom. And while I understand that there are decent judges, for every public interest lawyer on the federal bench, there are a hundred of the corporate, political hacks.

]]> By: Cynthia Kouril http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1999015 Cynthia Kouril Sun, 18 Oct 2009 23:49:30 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1999015 Public interst lawyers can be part of this pool. Thurgood Marshall was one. There is a judge from SDNY who was an NAACP lawyer before joining the bench. Public interst lawyerss can and do practice at the top of the profession Public interst lawyers can be part of this pool. Thurgood Marshall was one. There is a judge from SDNY who was an NAACP lawyer before joining the bench. Public interst lawyerss can and do practice at the top of the profession

]]> By: pineywoodsfats http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1998983 pineywoodsfats Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:49:25 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1998983 The process may be part of the problem. But the other half of the federal judiciary problem is drawing from that pool of white shoes. Where are the public interest lawyers? The Glenn Greenwalds? The process may be part of the problem.

But the other half of the federal judiciary problem is drawing from that pool of white shoes.

Where are the public interest lawyers? The Glenn Greenwalds?

]]> By: TarheelDem http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1998975 TarheelDem Sun, 18 Oct 2009 22:43:58 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1998975 Good old "Fighting Harry" Reid and his unified caucus. Good old “Fighting Harry” Reid and his unified caucus.

]]> By: Cynthia Kouril http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1998876 Cynthia Kouril Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:29:54 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1998876 He got confirmed. You went ot Regis? He got confirmed. You went ot Regis?

]]> By: ThingsComeUndone http://firedoglake.com/2009/10/18/brethren-at-the-bar-and-the-senate-confirmation-process/#comment-1998872 ThingsComeUndone Sun, 18 Oct 2009 21:25:13 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/?p=45427#comment-1998872 We have 60 seats in the Senate so whats the hold up? We have 60 seats in the Senate so whats the hold up?

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