It used to be that if you wanted to be a federal judge and were related to a senator (even by marriage) or at least endorsed by your home state senators, you’d stand a decent chance of putting on those black robes, but it seems things have tightened up a bit — and slowed up a lot — these days, The Washington Post reported yesterday. The Senate has so far this year confirmed only two judges, both of them from Texas. Five other candidates have been awaiting a full Senate vote, and it is not clear they’re going to get one this week. Three of them have been pending since February, and there are another 12 waiting in the Senate Judiciary Committee. Eight still need a hearing, and another four have had their hearing and are awaiting a vote. As it stands, there are 57 federal judicial vacancies, up from 43 at the beginning of this year.
