Senate Democrat Bob Menendez Blocks Obama's Judicial Nominee Because Judge's Boyfriend Was Mean to Him

Thanks to the unhappy combination of grotesquely arcane Senate rules, Democratic fecklessness and Republican obstruction, there are now 86 vacancies in the federal court system, 37 pending nominations, and 32 "judicial emergencies," in which under-staffed courts are overwhelmed with cases.

This is a real problem because in addition to adjudicating controversies about whether undocumented immigrants have the right to transport arms across state lines while travelling to a state-subsidized abortion appointment, or whatever, the federal court system also deals with a lot of routine cases in which millions of dollars, and justice for the aggrieved parties, is at stake.

Faced with the prospect of an overwhelmed judicial branch populated by George W. Bush appointees, Senate Democrats have two options: either get creative with parliamentary procedure and confirm some judges or just turn the Senate into a performance art piece mocking the very idea of representative government…

…in an unusual case of intraparty defiance, Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey is holding up President Obama's nomination of a judge to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, the only time a Democrat has tried to block one of Mr. Obama's judicial nominees.

Mr. Menendez would not comment. But the nominee, Patty Shwartz, has been in a relationship for more than two decades with the head of the public corruption unit for New Jersey's federal prosecutor. And that unit investigated the senator during his 2006 election fight, an inquiry Mr. Menendez has long contended was politically motivated.

Somehow, Senators have collectively decided that the "blue slip," a piece of paper carrying a recommendation from a nominee's home state Senators, is a magical piece of paper imbued with force of law rather than an outdated courtesy. And Menendez — who circumstantial evidence suggests is a corrupt sleaze since he's an elected official from New Jersey – is not handing his slip in because a NJ prosecutor and longtime companion of Judge Shwartz once had the gall to subpoena his records.

Therefore, Judge Shwartz, who is rated "unanimously well qualified" by the American Bar Association, isn't getting a hearing in the Judiciary Committee, because screw you buddy, that's why.

Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Barack Obama, Corruption, Judiciary, New Jersey, Robert Menendez, Senate

From the Pork Barrel: Reagan v. Obama

* "Do you think the millionaire ought to pay more in taxes than the bus driver or less?" (Can't remember whether that was Ronald Reagan or Barack Obama, so I'm not sure if that quote's an example of class warfare or simple business sense.)

* Bloomsberg write article detailing Charles and David Koch nefarious, illegal and possibly treasonous business deals as though they were regular human beings.

* Chris Christie called "bully," "punk," "rotten prick" and "mentally deranged" by his "friends."

* Ron Paul discovers one thing for which Republicans actually don't want to impeach Obama.

* Michele Bachmann has "no doubt that we are going to sweep into office a wave of election," which may or may not be true depending upon whatever the hell that's supposed to mean.

Tags: Anwar al-Awlaki, Barack Obama, Charles Koch, Corruption, David Koch, Iran, Pork Barrel, Primaries, Republicans, Ron Paul, Ronald Reagan, Taxes, Terrorism

From the Pork Barrel: Nancy Pelosi's World

* Nancy Pelosi thinks Democrats could win back the House in 2012. That is, unless either the leprechauns or water sprites pull off an upset.

* John Boehner announces his plan for job growth. Turns out it includes tax cuts.

* Social Security cuts off the table in Barack Obama's jobs plan he'll be abandoning shortly.

* Should Democrats be rooting for Rick Perry or Mitt Romney? Depends. Would they rather lose to Rick Perry or Mitt Romney?

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tags: Corruption, House of Representatives, John Boehner, Mitt Romney, Nancy Pelosi, Pork Barrel, Primaries, Republicans, Rick Perry, Taxes, Unemployment

Sacre Bleu! Le Chirac on Ze Trial?

The forces of evil have set upon former French president Jacques Chirac. Though Chirac’s attorneys are appealing, the gent in question may be forced to stand the indignity of a trial for "corruption," which is a stupid word meaning “seriously no big deal.” Porquoi, you ask?

Well, if you must know, he's been accused of maybe making some kinda not-so-ethical moves when he was the mayor of Paris…

The 78-year-old former president is accused of embezzling public money to fund his political party while he was mayor of Paris between 1977 and 1995, the year he was elected to his first term as president. Specific allegations are that Chirac used city money to pay 28 phantom employees for his own political purposes.

Chirac has denied any wrongdoing, saying that France had no clear laws on party financing at the time.

Does there really need to be a law that says you can't use public funds to pay people for doing jobs that don't actually exist? This and other pertinent questions may never be answered, as the trial has been delayed on appeal.

So, to Jacques Chirac, we offer a hearty congratulations on probably never being prosecuted for something you probably totally did! In the words of our nation's own drunken, party-hearty descendants of the French, "Laissez les bontemps rouler!"

Tags: Corruption, France, Jacques Chirac

Quote Unquote: Tom DeLay Begins the Healing Process

Tom DeLay — who yesterday was sentenced to three years in jail for money laundering — to the judge who imposed his sentence…

"I can't be remorseful for something I think I didn't do."

That guy's gonna learn a lot from this, you can just tell.

Tags: Corruption, Crime, House of Representatives, Money, Quote Unquote, Texas, Tom DeLay