Blue Slip Dick
By 
The overall Biden effort on getting judges confirmed has been not bad. We will see if he can get past Trump’s numbers. It’s going to be close but would take a real Senate effort to put him over the top. But it sure would have been easier if Dick Durbin hadn’t protected his beloved blue slip.
Despite calls by some progressive groups for Democrats to be even more aggressive, Mr. Durbin and some of his colleagues believe they made the right call in not ending a Senate tradition that gives home-state senators virtual veto power over nominees for federal district courts.
The decision did mean Democrats were unable to fill vacancies in states such as Mississippi and Missouri represented by Republicans who refused to back candidates put forward by the White House. But Democrats say retaining what is known as “blue slip” approval for home-state senators prevented a partisan meltdown in the Judiciary Committee that would have stalled other nominees.
Negotiations with Republicans did produce some breakthroughs. Thirty-one judges have been confirmed for the bench in states represented by two Republicans and 13 in states with one Republican senator.
“I think we did the right thing,” Mr. Durbin said.
Why? Why would Democrats not have been able to just push through nominees on party line votes? I need someone to explain to me how Durbin isn’t continuing to shoot us in the foot on this.