Diane Roberts opines that Katherine Harris has become the poster girl for Florida's dysfunctional elections in Notes From Tallahassee:Two Strikes and You're In Congress.

The battle over Bush judicial nominee Michael McConnell for a position on the the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit is heating up.

At a press conference with leaders of national civil, constitutional and women's rights organizations, People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas called on the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject McConnell's confirmation.

Neas released a PFAW report analyzing McConnell's legal philosophy on a range of civil and constitutional rights issues. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a Confirmation hearing for McConnell on Wednesday, September 18.

Neas and the assembled groups assert "McConnell's record makes clear that as a lifetime appointee to the federal bench he would pose a serious threat to constitutional rights and liberties.... McConnell is highly intelligent and well-liked by his academic colleagues, but his extreme legal philosophy on too many issues raises serious questions about his ability to be a fair and impartial judge and make him utterly inappropriate for the federal appeals court."

For a first-hand account of the partisan politics and stalling that go on in the judicial appointment confirmation process, read JUDGE NOT by Mike Shattman in the DFW Telegram.

Bottom Line: Both sides stall, but at least the democrats give the Republican choices a hearing and vote. Shattman, a Clinton nominee, got neither.

"I want to congratulate Priscilla Owen for getting a hearing and a vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., for restoring the constitutional process that is the advice-and-consent role of the Senate."

"Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, abandoned that historical process. Under Hatch's regime, not one of even President Bush's 27 judicial nominees got so much as a hearing."

"It was not until the Democrats regained control of the Senate last summer and Leahy assumed the chair that hearings and confirmations resumed. As of this writing, the Democratic-led Senate Committee had held hearings on 82 Bush nominees, approving 80 of them -- including 16 women. The full Senate had already confirmed 73."

"This is normal -- traditional. It was not that way from 1994 to 2001."

"All we wanted for the nominees is what the Constitution expects: a hearing and a vote. No one is entitled to a favorable outcome." Shattman got none of them. He gave up his state judgeship when he was nominated for the federal post. Now he's a lawyer in private practice.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is about to consider another judicial appointment by President Bush--that of Michael McConnell of Utah to the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals.

People for the American Way oppose the appointment for these reasons.

PFAW President Ralph Neas says "On too many constitutional rights and civil liberties issues, Michael McConnell may be the most dangerous Bush administration judicial nominee yet to come before the Judiciary Committee."

PFAW says that confirmation of McConnell, a Law professor and attorney who is strongly favored by Utah Senator Orrin Hatch "would threaten civil rights enforcement, religious liberty, reproductive choice, and other important principles. "

Among PFAW's points:

From Eric Alterman's Altercation today:

"Things to remember about George Bush’s presidency as we go into the 2000 election: “The Dow Jones Industrial Average has declined by nearly 2000 points since he took office; unemployment has risen to 5.7% from 4.2%. In the six quarters of the Bush presidency, growth of gross domestic product has averaged 1.1%, down from 3.6% in the last six quarters of the Clinton presidency. In the Journal/NBC poll, only 38% of Americans believe the country is safer than a year ago.” The Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2002"

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UPI reports that Tuesday's primaries beefed up the Senate's thin GOP line.

"Voters in North Carolina and New Hampshire selected Elizabeth Dole and John Sununu, well-known names in Republican politics, to defend the Senate seats now held by GOP conservatives. Voters in Minnesota chose St. Paul Mayor Ron Coleman to challenge Democratic incumbent Paul Wellstone."

"The Democrats now hold the Senate by a single seat, which has denied the Bush administration some high-profile victories and could complicate the White House's efforts to build a consensus on the Hill for possible U.S. actions against Iraq. Tuesday's three GOP winners, however, were favored by the administration and could add three welcome allies to the Senate."

Your Democratic candidates need you. We don't want to lose the edge in Congress. Call them and see how you can help. Obviously they all need money, but they can also use your time. So, give whichever you can.

Atrios over on Eschaton has a post today about former S.C. Republican Congressman and House Impeachment Trial Manager Lindsey Graham who is now running for the senate seat being vacated by 99 year old Republican Strom Thurmond.

Back in June, we reported on the race, heartily endorsing his opponent, Alex Sanders. We still do.

Some heavyweight republicans, including Weston Adams, considered to be one of the founding members of the modern S.C. Republican party, are backing Sanders as well.

As to Graham's romantic life, the topic of much speculation on Eschaton today, we have no idea, but we reported in his comments section some stuff we found on Lexis.

A new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & Press shows that Bush's approval rating has dropped to 60 percent.

That's one point lower than Bill Clinton's approval rating in the midst of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

His support among Republicans has dropped from 95% to 83% since January. Overall his approval rating in January was 80%.

Priscilla Owens has been rejected for a position on the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals by a 10 to 9 vote, see the breaking AP article .

Here's why we are pleased.

Is NY Attorney General Elliott Spitzer too much of a lone wolf to be elected to higher office in that state?

"A failure to schmooze is an odd problem for a Bronx native, or any gifted politician, but it's one that Spitzer has yet to solve. Only now it's haunting him in a much higher-profile dispute than one over legal fees. As everyone with a newspaper subscription or a cable connection knows, last spring Spitzer famously wrested a $100 million settlement from Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., the brokerage house he had accused of defrauding the public. Wielding stacks of incriminating e-mail, Spitzer also won for himself the sort of publicity that not even the 43-year-old son of a rich man could buy. With one bold stroke, he became the most prominent state attorney general in the land.

But that settlement may be in jeopardy because it requires the unanimous consent of all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. After three months, 20 had not signed. It turns out that once again Spitzer had neglected to schmooze the room. "

Andrew Cuomo has withdrawn from the democratic primary race for Governor of New York. The Democratic candidate facing incumbent Republican Governor George Pataki in November will be Carl McCall. Here's the lowdown.

TalkLeft is interested in this race because of Pataki's empty promise to revise the draconian Rockefeller mandatory minimum drug laws in that state.

Cuomo did a noble deed by dropping out once he assessed he would not win without launching an acrimonious campaign against McCall, the likely outcome of which would have been Pataki's reelection in November.

Our most recent prior posts on the NY drug laws are here , here and here.

And while you're in a clicking mood, don't forget Mothers of the Disappeared--those whose children are serving these appallingly long sentences.

Alaska voters rejected run-off voting today. Here's our earlier discussion on this issue.

And in Oklahoma, democrats overwhelmingly chose the candidate who supports trying Terry Nichols in state court there in hopes of getting the death penalty this time around. The losing candidate in that race opposed the trial.

The case went into indefinite suspension today as the state is refusing to pony up any more funds for the court-appointed lawyers.

"Nichols' attorney Brian Hermanson said that he hadn't been paid in nearly a year and that other members of the defense team had taken on other cases in order to make a living.

Nichols, who is serving a life sentence on federal convictions of conspiracy and involuntary manslaughter, faces 160 state counts of first-degree murder for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Building. The bomber, Timothy McVeigh, was executed last year."

Can't someone make Oklahoma understand they can't have it both ways?