Mike Lee Backs Down From Voting Against Every Single Judicial Nominee

For almost a year now, Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has been one of the most intransigent obstructionists on judicial nominations. Until recently, he has categorically voted down every single nominee to the federal courts, a tactic he said was in retaliation for President Obama’s recess appointments of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and two others to the National Labor Relations Board.

In his crusade, Lee has voted against even those nominees he supported, and since at least April, without a single ally left. Now, just as President Obama is ramping up his push to fill federal court vacancies during his second term, Lee says he’s backing down:

Lee says the Republicans have adequately responded by invoking a loosely defined Senate tradition of backing off from filling circuit court seats in the waning months of a president’s term, dubbed the “Thurmond Rule.” That rule was invoked in July.

“That issue is closed,” spokesman Brian Phillips said. However, should the president again make recess appointments, Lee could again institute his policy, Phillips said.

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And now, in a perverse turn of events, Mike Lee is joining some of his colleagues in threatening a “strong and proportional response” — ostensibly even more obstruction – if the Senate adopts a filibuster reform proposal intended to curb obstruction.

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Full article here: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/11/29/1253921/mike-lee-backs-down-from-voting-against-every-single-judicial-nominee/