Slipping on the Blue

Judge Stas had his confirmation hearing yesterday.  Stas is the Minnesota Supreme Court judge nominated by President Trump to sit on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.  His nomination was held up by serial sex abuser Al Franken in the senate by Franken's refusal to return the "blue slip".  Blue slips are a courtesy given to home state senators with regard to nominees from their state.  Hearings customarily have not gone ahead until the home state senators return their blue slips.  Because Franken was providing no real reason for the hold and because Stas is widely regarded as a very able and fair jurist, the Senate committee decided to go ahead without Franken's consent.  Thus we had yesterday's hearing.

One would expect that Franken would have grilled Stas with some rather hard questions and brought out problems with his background.  After all, Franken held the nomination for six months.  That did not happen.  Franken just asked some rather dull questions which clearly had been written for him by his staff.  When Stas gave answers, Franken never followed up.  It seems doubtful that Franken even understood the answers.  Either that or maybe he was scanning the room looking for some pretty woman to abuse.

The hearing disclosed on thing; that is for sure.  Al Franken had no reason to delay the Stas nomination other than to try to obstruct a nomination by President Trump.