Screwing around and (possibly) missing a major opportunity

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In North Carolina, we currently have two vacancies in the federal judiciary.  They had been held by conservatives appointed during the Jesse Helms – Ronald Reagan era.  Most of you know that federal judges are appointed by the president and approved by the US Senate.

We have a conservative president.  We have a GOP majority in the Congress.  In North Carolina, we have two GOP senators. (That likely will not be the case after November.)

You may have heard that the GOP-led US Senate has been dragging its feet on approving appointments from the Trump White House.

It’s extra important that we have two GOPers representing us in the Senate while we are trying to fill these two seats.  Senate rules allow for any senator from a state with a nominee for a judgeship being considered  to indefinitely block the approval or consideration process.  Senator Roy Cooper will take great joy in blocking any and all Trump appointees to the federal judiciary.

Who knows?  Mike Whatley may shock the world and pull this thing out.  But I wouldn’t bet (much) on it.

Ted Budd and Thom Tillis need to get into gear and help the White House ID and nominate two good conservatives to fill those vacancies (one in the eastern district and one in the middle district).

Finding two good conservative jurists in their 40s or 50s will cement a conservative presence on the federal bench for decades to come.  (Federal judgeships are lifetime appointments.)

Tillis is clearly not in the mood to do any favors for President Trump. But working with Ted Budd to get this done before the end of the year just might do wonders for a Tillis reputation / legacy that is currently in sorry shape.