Stalled Judicial Nominee Backs Out

Goodwin Liu, a Berkeley law professor tapped by the Obama administration for the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, is withdrawing his nomination, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Last Thursday the Senate failed to override a Republican filibuster against Liu’s confirmation, securing only 52 votes, 8 less than the 60 needed to move forward. It wasn’t the first time his nomination had been blocked. An attempt to confirm him in the previous 111^th Congress failed as well.

“With no possibility of an up-or-down vote on the horizon, my family and I have decided that it is time for us to regain the ability to make plans for the future,” reportedly said in a letter to the White House.

Senate Republicans have charged that Liu, who was nominated by the White House in early 2010, lacks adequate experience and failed to properly disclose all of the speeches and publications. In addition, there were fears that he would draw the already fairly-liberal Ninth court further to the left.

Pataki Mulling 2012 Run

Former New York Governor George Pataki is considering running for President, according to the Daily Caller.

Pataki served as Governor from 1995 until 2006. Since leaving office, he has served as a UN Delegate under George W. Bush and established the organization “No American Debt.”

If he does enter the race, he will be seeking his party’s nod against a slate of other former Governors, including Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty Jon Hunstman, Gary Johnson and possibly Sarah Palin.



Jared Lee Lougher Ruled Incompetent, Won't Stand Trial

A Federal Judge ruled Wednesday that Jared Lee Loughner, the Arizona resident suspected of shooting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in the head outside of a Tucson based supermarket, is not competent to stand trial.

The ruling comes after one doctor told the court that Loughner suffered from paranoid schizophrenia, a diagnosis that was shadowed by cryptic messages  included in Youtube videos Loughner made before the shooting along with a string of bizarre behavior. According to the AP, Loughner was escorted from Wednesday’s hearing after declaring “Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me.” 

Loughner allegedly killed 6 people and wounded 12 others.

Reid Claims Vitter Is Strong Arming Salazar

Senate Majority Leader admonished Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) Wednesday for the Louisiana Republican’s vow to block a pay adjustment for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar until his department delivers six deepwater drilling permits per month.

“Given the completely unsatisfactory pace of your department’s issuance of new deepwater exploratory permits in the Gulf, I cannot possibly give my assent,” Vitter said in a letter to Salazar Monday.

In a statement, Vitter described the move as “my way of keeping the ‘boot on the neck’ of Interior until they get job the done,” a nod to an interview Salazar gave last year, wherein he said the government would keep a “boot” on BP’s neck following the massive Gulf Coast oil Spill.

“It is wrong for Sen. Vitter to try to get something in return for moving forward on a matter that the Senate has considered routine for more than a century,” Reid said in a statement. “[Salazar] deserves better than to be strong armed while trying to do an important job for the American people.”

Salazar was set to receive a $20,000 adjustment. Salazar has since asked that the raise should be withdrawn instead to prevent any coercion from Vitter.

Report: Pawlenty Will Declare His Candidacy Monday

Presidential hopeful Tim Pawlenty will formally declare his candidacy next Monday in Iowa, according to CNN.

The former Minnesota Governor has made it clear for months that he would be in the race. In March, he formed an Exploratory Committee and said in a video release that the U.S. needs to “grow jobs, limit government spending and tackle entitlements.”

Earlier this week, he competed in the first Presidential debate of the 2012 season, along with former Senator Rick Santorum, former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, radio host Herman Cain and Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas.).