Despite odds, Obama nominates two for key U.S. appeals court
Source: Reuters
Despite odds, Obama nominates two for key U.S. appeals court
By Joan Biskupic
WASHINGTON | Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:29pm EDT
(Reuters) - Undeterred by the odds against him, President Barack Obama on Monday nominated two prominent lawyers to a Washington court that handles disputes over federal policy and is regarded as a launching pad for U.S. Supreme Court justices.
With tensions running high between the Democratic administration and Senate Republicans and Obama nearing the end of his current term, the chances that either will be confirmed in 2012 are slim, amid the turmoil of November's elections.
Obama has had problems filling openings at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, where three vacancies exist. Even with Monday's action, he is likely to become the first president in half a century to finish a full term without putting anyone on this powerful bench.
One of his nominees, Caitlin Halligan, general counsel in the Manhattan District Attorney's office, was blocked by Senate Republicans in a December vote. The other, Srikanth "Sri" Srinivasan, the principal deputy U.S. solicitor general, has drawn praise from former solicitors general, including Paul Clement, and would likely not face such opposition.
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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/11/us-obama-court-nominees-idUSBRE85A1IZ20120611
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