USA TODAY: The federal judiciary — long the province and priority of Republicans — is turning more Democratic.
The number of full-time federal judges named by Democratic presidents will draw even Friday with the number named by Republicans, following two retirements. The next of President Obama’s nominees to replace a Republican-named judge will tilt the balance in Democrats’ favor; that majority will grow for the remainder of his term.
The trend is particularly noteworthy at the nation’s 13 appeals courts, 10 of which had a majority of Republican appointees by the end of George W. Bush’s presidency. Although the Supreme Court remains 5-4 in Republicans’ favor, judges named by Democratic presidents now dominate seven appeals courts, and two more are split down the middle… (more)
