Srexley: Read the 4th paragraph closely.
"Although, at the end of his term, Clinton's nominees slightly surpassed the number of Reagan and Bush judges on the bench, by a margin of 42.7% to 40.7%, his per-term appointments to the circuit courts were significantly fewer in number than those of his predecessors. This is the unsurprising result of a highly political struggle to stall and block his nominees, even those with bipartisan support and strong credentials.
"A report from Ohio State University notes that, in contrast with President George H.W. Bush, who also faced a Senate controlled by the opposition party, Clinton was greatly hampered in his ability to get circuit court nominees through the hearing and confirmation process.
"At the circuit level, Bush's nominees were confirmed in an average of 14.4 days after being reported out of committee in the Democratic 102nd Congress. Clinton has not fared as well in divided government, with an average of 39.5 days until floor action in the 104th Congress and an average of 42.4 days in the 105th.
"It is impossible to escape the conclusion that the Republican leadership in the Senate was engaged in a protracted effort to delay decision making on judicial appointments whether or not the appointee was, ultimately, confirmable."
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