U of I Professor Says Holdup Over Federal Judgeships Isn’t Surprising

US Senator Dick Durbin has re-submitted three names for federal judgeships from Illinois' Central District.

4th District Appellate Court Justice Sue Myerscough, Peoria Judge James Shadid, and Rock Island Prosecutor Sara Darrow were all nominated by President Obama last year. But they didn't get an up or down vote prior to November's elections, so those 3, along 39 others will go back before the Senate Judiciary Committee. University of Illinois Political Science Professor Brian Gaines says it's not surprising, since both parties have 'played hardball' with judicial nominations in recent years.

"I think both parties are finger-pointing and they're both right. " he said. "Both parties have decided in the past they'd block even the non-controversial judges in an effort to get the other side to withdraw nominations of more controversial figures. That's certainly the case of at least two of three, and maybe all three of these. They're not particularly controversial figures."

Gaines says Judge Shadid may have the most bipartisan support and be the least controversial, noting that he has the backing of Peoria Congressman Aaron Schock. Gaines says the slowdown when filling federal judgeships is nothing new, noting the same the same thing happened under President George W. Bush, when Democrats filibustered some Bush nominees that they felt were too conservative. Despite political battles, Gaines says the nominations are likely to speed up and address what Durbin calls a 'judicial emergency' in the 112th Congress.