Obama Now Selling Judgeships for Health Care Votes?

[thundley4]

Obama working the phone banks to raise cash for bribes.
Obama names brother of undecided House Dem to Appeals Court.
"Tonight, Barack Obama will host ten House Democrats who voted against the health care bill in November at the White House; he's obviously trying to persuade them to switch their votes to yes. One of the ten is Jim Matheson of Utah. The White House just sent out a press release announcing that today President Obama nominated Matheson's brother Scott M. Matheson, Jr. to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

“Scott Matheson is a distinguished candidate for the Tenth Circuit court,” President Obama said.  “Both his legal and academic credentials are impressive and his commitment to judicial integrity is unwavering.  I am honored to nominate this lifelong Utahn to the federal bench.”

Scott M. Matheson, Jr.: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit

Scott M. Matheson currently holds the Hugh B. Brown Presidential Endowed Chair at the S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1985.  He served as Dean of the Law School from 1998 to 2006.  He also taught First Amendment Law at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government from 1989 to 1990.

While on public service leave from the University of Utah from 1993 to 1997, Matheson served as United States Attorney for the District of Utah.  In 2007, he was appointed by Governor Jon Huntsman to chair the Utah Mine Safety Commission.  He also worked as a Deputy County Attorney for Salt Lake County from 1988 to 1989.  Prior to joining the University faculty, Matheson was an associate attorney from 1981 to 1985 at Williams & Connolly LLP in Washington, D.C.

Matheson was born and raised in Utah and is a sixth generation Utahn.  He received an A.B. from Stanford University in 1975, an M.A. from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a J.D. from Yale Law School in 1980.

So, Scott Matheson appears to have the credentials to be a judge, but was his nomination used to buy off his brother's vote?

Consider Congressman Matheson's record on the health care bill. He voted against the bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee back in July and again when it passed the House in November. But now he's "undecided" on ramming the bill through Congress. "The Congressman is looking for development of bipartisan consensus," Matheson's press secretary Alyson Heyrend wrote to THE WEEKLY STANDARD on February 22. "It’s too early to know if that will occur."

Asked if one could infer that if no Republican votes in favor of the bill (i.e. if a bipartisan consensus is not reached) then Rep. Matheson would vote no, Heyrend replied: "I would not infer anything.  I’d wait to see what develops, starting with the health care summit on Thursday."

The timing of this nomination looks suspicious, especially in light Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak's claim that he was offered a federal job not to run against Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania primary. Many speculated that Sestak, a former admiral, was offered the Secretary of the Navy job."  The Weekly Standard


If this isn't considered breaking news, feel free to move it.  I just think it is kind of important to show the steps that Lord Zero will go to to get his way.

[rich_t]

I've been told that politics is a dirty business and that we should not only expect, but to also accept such things.

Oh well...

[ColonialMarine0431]

This admin doesn't even PRETEND to have ethics. 

[Chris_]

Please tell me that there is a special place in hell for these people.

[The Village Idiot]

How many government grants and stimulant money went to companies and orgs owned and run by  family members of Obama employees and friends and allies??

[littlelamb]

How much time before that those who don't vote this in are going to be thrown under the bus

[SSG Snuggle Bunny]

How long until the next congress is seated?

Perhaps it is time to begin mentioning the word "impeachment."

[Karin]

Seriously, MSB.  Where the hell is the line?  Where the hell is my country?  I know for a fact that we have good, honest, ethical people in this country.  I've been friends and co-workers with them my entire life.  God forbid we should have them as elected leaders. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

As raunchy and corrupt as this looks, stinking to high Heaven as it does, I have to admit he appears to be reasonably well qualified, at least to the point where the nomination can't really be attacked from that angle.  The appearance is so bad that there may still be a hurdle of Senatorial Privilege to overcome, but that would be long after the HCR vote.  Circuit Judge nominees do not necessarily have to have served as Federal District Judges, or on the bench in a State, first (Though for my two cents, they absolutely should).   

[thundley4]

As raunchy and corrupt as this looks, stinking to high Heaven as it does, I have to admit he appears to be reasonably well qualified, at least to the point where the nomination can't really be attacked from that angle.  The appearance is so bad that there may still be a hurdle of Senatorial Privilege to overcome, but that would be long after the HCR vote.  Circuit Judge nominees do not necessarily have to have served as Federal District Judges, or on the bench in a State, first (Though for my two cents, they absolutely should).   

The original article even said that he is qualified, but the timing stinks to high heaven.  The last paragraph is relevant.

The timing of this nomination looks suspicious, especially in light Democratic Congressman Joe Sestak's claim that he was offered a federal job not to run against Arlen Specter in the Pennsylvania primary. Many speculated that Sestak, a former admiral, was offered the Secretary of the Navy job."

There have also been numerous appointments of campaign donors to state department positions.  Hillary was pretty much nullified as opposition by making her Secretary of State, Then there was Republican Judd Gregg that turned down an appointment that would have opened up his seat.

[The Village Idiot]

How long until the next congress is seated?

Perhaps it is time to begin mentioning the word "impeachment."

Bunning is not running for re-election. The rest of them are too cowardly.

[thundley4]

Fox News is covering this story.  Even Juan Williams thinks it smells fishy.

[Eupher]

Jim Matheson is one of the few good Congresscritters. I haven't looked at his record recently, but for his first two terms he never missed a vote and while he's a Dem, he serves a staunchly conservative state and district.

But hell, even he's human.

I reviewed Matheson's web site a week or so ago and he's on record with saying that health care needs to be reformed. He didn't indicate particulars.

Matheson's family is HUGE in Utah (and that goes beyond the Mormon angle). They are successful businessmen and politicians and while I don't care too much for career politicians, if Matheson were to be voted out of office, he'd be okay anyway.

Courting Scott to curry Jim's vote is something, however, that politics has ALWAYS been made of irrespective of political party. Lord Zero is simply doing what he's been taught. 

[Splashdown]

Jim Matheson is one of the few good Congresscritters. I haven't looked at his record recently, but for his first two terms he never missed a vote and while he's a Dem, he serves a staunchly conservative state and district.

But hell, even he's human.

I reviewed Matheson's web site a week or so ago and he's on record with saying that health care needs to be reformed. He didn't indicate particulars.

Matheson's family is HUGE in Utah (and that goes beyond the Mormon angle). They are successful businessmen and politicians and while I don't care too much for career politicians, if Matheson were to be voted out of office, he'd be okay anyway.

Courting Scott to curry Jim's vote is something, however, that politics has ALWAYS been made of irrespective of political party. Lord Zero is simply doing what he's been taught. 

True, but can you remember a time since Watergate since the American voter was so tuned in to politics?

[Eupher]

True, but can you remember a time since Watergate since the American voter was so tuned in to politics?

I'd say that Americans are far more disgusted with politicians and politics than they ever were (especially Congress), but to think they're that much informed isn't quite accurate.

Voter turnouts are still dismal and lower overall than they've ever been.

The media are ten times more likely to publish stories than to hold them back. Hell, FDR's polio was downplayed extensively to the point that very few Americans were even aware he had a significant disability. Nowadays, we get to look at Lord Zero's chest as he's wading in from the beach with commentary about how "manly" and "in shape" he looks.

Gag me.  

We have no shortage of news outlets, but most Americans are only interested in drive-by news and forget about any depth. Hell, we're so lazy we can't even do the alphabet evening news anymore, which is why they're dying off....

[thundley4]

I'd say that Americans are far more disgusted with politicians and politics than they ever were (especially Congress), but to think they're that much informed isn't quite accurate.

I dunno. I'd guess that more Americans are informed than even last year.

[DumbAss Tanker]

I dunno. I'd guess that more Americans are informed than even last year.

Kind of a low benchmark, considering what we got out of that.

[The Village Idiot]

The media are ten times more likely to publish stories than to hold them back. Hell, FDR's polio was downplayed extensively to the point that very few Americans were even aware he had a significant disability. Nowadays, we get to look at Lord Zero's chest as he's wading in from the beach with commentary about how "manly" and "in shape" he looks.

Before last week most America media had never mentioned Obama being a smoker, even though they all knew during the campaign

[thundley4]

Media Matters ADMITS Barack Obama Has Bribed Congressman Jim Matheson
The Great Gavel Giveaway of 2010 is looking more and more like Gavelgate
Posted by Erick Erickson (Profile)
Thursday, March 4th at 2:22PM EST
2 Comments
Media Matters, doing its typical shilling for the Obama Administration, threw up some lame talking points about Barack Obama appointing Scott Matheson, brother of Congressman Jim Matheson, to the federal bench.

The right has pointed out it has the appearance of bribery.

Today, trying to refute the accusation, Media Matters gives away the game. Casually in defending the appointment, Media Matters notes Scott Matheson told the White House in June of 2009 that he wanted Judge Michael McConnell’s job when it became available at the end of August 2009.

When does Barack Obama choose to appoint Scott Matheson?

Yesterday. The same day he has over the appointee’s brother, a congressman, to persuade the Congress to change his no vote on health care to a yes vote.

The Great Gavel Giveaway of 2010 is looking more and more like Gavelgate thanks to the industrious spinning of Media Matters trying to be helpful.

You know, giving Athena Innovative Solutions, Inc. defense contracts after $2 million in gifts to Duke Cunningham got Duke Cunningham thrown in jail. Giving a congressman’s brother life tenure on the federal bench in exchange for supporting the President’s legacy project is not much different.

Redstate

That makes the timing of this even more suspicious.

[Eupher]

Before last week most America media had never mentioned Obama being a smoker, even though they all knew during the campaign

Granted, Obama's smoking isn't trumpeted like Sarah Palin's appetite for fine clothing was during the 08 campaign, but there was enough said about his habit up to and including his promising Michelle he'd quit -

which was yet another lie, of course.

Here's even a link from the All Barack Channel:

ABC

And See BS also has reported it (though I can't link it due to the firewall). Just Google "Obama smoking" and tons of stuff pops up.

Katie Couric won't mention it, neither will Diane Sawyer. But then, they worship Lord Zero so there won't be any disparaging remarks from either of those two.

[Eupher]

I seem to remember stories about how U.S. president Andrew Jackson's election victory in 1828 prompted a senator to quip, "To the victor belong the spoils".

Bottom line, this kind of shit goes on irrespective of party.

Obama is a glib Chicago street thug, but he's not doing anything any other president hasn't already done.