Justiceline: July 31, 2012

Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) would not back allowing a vote on the nomination of Robert Bacharach, even though he supported it (credit: The Oklahoman)

• Senate Republicans successfully filibustered the nomination of Oklahoman Robert Bacharach, a nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Though both of his Republican home state Senators had previously endorsed him as an excellent candidate, even they did not stand with him. Despite his earlier protestations that it is unconstitutional to filibuster judicial nominees, Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) successfully blocked an up-or-down vote on Bacharach’s nomination, by a vote of 56 yeas, 34 nays, and 3 present.
• Republican voters in Texas today will choose whether to nominate Lt. Governor David Dewhurst or former state Solicitor General Ted Cruz.
• Citing his attorney’s illness, Rep. Vern Buchnanan (R-FL) did not show up yesterday for a scheduled deposition in a civil suit by a former business partner who now alleges Buchanan — who is reportedly also under federal investigation — defrauded him.
• The Center for Public Integrity looks at how the Republican Governors Association’s Right Direction PAC is circumventing state laws banning corporate contributions.
• Florida’s Division of Elections director, a key figure in Gov. Rick Scott’s (R) failed voter purge, is stepping down, just two weeks before the primary elections.
• And finally, a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair poll shows that even among college graduates, just 52 percent of Americans know that there are nine Supreme Court Justices.


Read The Full Article:
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/07/31/612331/justiceline-july-31-2012/

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