Hooray! 18 Months Later, We Have a U.S. Attorney!

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by: Colorado Pols

It only took 18 months to finally confirm the position, but John Walsh is now officially Colorado’s new U.S. Attorney. Walsh’s nomination was approved by unanimous consent last night. Press release from Sen. Mark Udall’s office after the jump:

Today, U.S. Senator Mark Udall praised the Senate for approving President Obama’s nomination of John Walsh to serve as U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado. Walsh’s nomination was approved by unanimous consent late Thursday.

Walsh, a Colorado native and a partner at Hill & Robbins, was nominated in April by President Obama after both Colorado Senators recommended him for the position.

“John is eminently qualified, and he’s one of the most civic-minded people I know. He’s a Coloradan through and through and will serve us well,” Senator Udall said. “Colorado has been without a permanent U.S. Attorney for nearly 19 months, and I’m very pleased that the Senate has approved his nomination.”

However, while the Senate was able to act on Walsh’s nomination, there is still a big backlog of judicial nominations that are being held up purely for partisan reasons – including William Martinez, whose nomination to the U.S. District Court in Colorado has been in limbo since April. Five judges in the District of Colorado have been doing the work of seven for almost two years, and caseload has grown so heavy that the situation in the court is now classified as a “judicial emergency.”

Last week, Senator Udall led an effort with nine of his colleagues to try to convince Republicans to stop blocking Martinez’s nomination and that of several others. Today, he pledged to continue fighting against partisan obstruction. More information is available HERE.

“I’m frustrated with these partisan games that are only hurting the people our courts are supposed to serve,” Senator Udall said. “But I’m not giving up. I’m going to continue to work across the aisle to convince my colleagues that the time to fill these vacancies in our judicial system is now.”

7 thoughts on “Hooray! 18 Months Later, We Have a U.S. Attorney!”

Barron X says:

August 6, 2010 at 11:00 pm

.

“I’m frustrated with these partisan games,” Senator Udall said.

So, is it a partisan game to throw out the sitting USA because he was appointed by the previous Administration ? I know, technically they submitted a resignation, but accepting it ain’t that different than firing that person.

Is it a partisan game to nominate a Democratic partisan and contributor ?

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1. Early Worm says:
  
  August 6, 2010 at 11:22 pm
  
  He abandoned that bid when Suthers decided not to run for Senate. Its quite a stretch to call that a partisan firing.
  
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  1. Voyageur says:
    
    August 6, 2010 at 11:29 pm
    
    are traditionally political/ changing with the administrations. Exchanging them is no more political than appointing an attorney general of your own party. The scandal is how long it takes to fill the vacancies — and the bipartisan scandal is how long we’re leaving judgeships unfilled.
    
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  2. Barron X says:
    
    August 6, 2010 at 11:36 pm
    
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TimothyTribbett says:

August 7, 2010 at 5:25 am

John is a super solid guy. I had the pleasure of working with him as our House District chair in HD7B. Very happy for him and for the State of Colorado.

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ScottP says:

August 8, 2010 at 6:54 pm

I can think of no good logical reason these confirmations take so long.

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ohwilleke says:

August 9, 2010 at 9:23 pm

If John Walsh does a decent job as U.S. Attorney for the rest of the Obama administration, and he is certainly capable of doing so, he will become a name that will be circulated for a variety of top jobs after wards from DA, to AG, to top jobs in the Justice Department or Colorado AG’s department to Colorado Supreme Court or federal court judicial appointments. And, should be become the state AG at some point years in the future, he would be an attractive potential candidate for Governor or a federal legislative post.

U.S. Attorney has the virtue of being a job that rarely leaves its incumbents looking bad, and always leaves some record of non-partisan accomplishment.

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