On Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved six nominees to federal courts in Georgia, clearing the way for the full Senate to vote on these nominees. Committee Chair Patrick Leahy (D-VT), however, held back one nominee, the
controversial Michael Boggs.
[O]ne of the nominees, Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Michael Boggs, a conservative Democrat, hit a roadblock when liberals objected to his record in the state Legislature. Boggs voted to reinstate a version of the Confederate flag as the state flag, opposed same-sex marriage and took positions on abortion that critics say would have limited women's rights.
The Judiciary Committee decided to move ahead with the other judges, who include Julie Carnes and Jill Pryor to sit on the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta, and four District Court nominees. The six are likely to win approval on the Senate floor.
Boggs is expected to be voted on in committee later. Many Democrats are expected to oppose him, but even if he gets a majority, it is unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D.-Nev.) will bring him up for a floor vote.
President Obama made a sort of package deal with Georgia's Republican senators, Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss, taking Boggs as one of the package in return for getting judges he wanted. But in addition to the opposition to Boggs from numerous civil rights groups, he's opposed by Georgia Rep. John Lewis, a civil rights icon in his own right. And Boggs did himself no favors with his
disingenuous testimony and follow-up answers on the issue of abortion.
So far, the only Democratic committee members to announce their position on Boggs are Al Franken and Dick Durbin. Durbin's opposition is critical, as a member of leadership. Between him and Reid opposing Boggs, it's hard to see this nomination coming to the floor without an ugly fight. That fight could be avoided in a couple of ways. First, either Boggs himself or President Obama could withdraw the nomination. That would certainly be the cleanest solution. Or Democrats on the committee could vote against, should Leahy schedule that vote.
We're covering our bases. If you live in a state with a senator on the Judiciary Committee, please sign and send the petition: Reject Michael Boggs’s nomination to the U.S. District Court in Georgia.