Staff Reports
In a surprising turn of events, two of President Joe Biden’s judicial nominations, Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren and Colleen Holland, have asked to be removed from consideration for lifetime judgeship positions. And let’s be real, it’s probably because they knew they wouldn’t make the cut anyways. Bjelkengren, Biden’s pick for the Eastern District of Washington, faced harsh criticism during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in January 2023 for fumbling her way through questions about the Constitution. Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) was not impressed, and honestly, who would be? It’s like showing up to a spelling bee and not being able to spell “cat.” Basic stuff, people.
Biden judicial nominee scorched by Kennedy one of two to bow out from consideration https://t.co/kJha4198Jc https://t.co/kJha4198Jc
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) January 10, 2024
Their nominations expired at the end of last year, and surprise, they didn’t make the cut for the White House’s list of nominations resubmitted to the Senate this Monday. Clearly, they didn’t make the “nice” list. Senator Kennedy, in a statement to the Washington Examiner, basically said, “Good riddance!” He slammed Bjelkengren, pointing out that someone who doesn’t know the Constitution shouldn’t be anywhere near a courtroom, let alone serving as a judge for life. And honestly, who can blame him? We can’t have people who don’t know the playbook calling the shots!
Bjelkengren, currently a superior court judge in Spokane County, Washington, admitted to Reuters that she asked the White House to withdraw her nomination. Smart move, considering she clearly didn’t have a snowball’s chance in a bonfire of getting confirmed. And Holland, nominated for a vacancy on the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, also decided to throw in the towel. But let’s be real, it was probably for the best. If you can’t hang in the big leagues, it’s time to pack it up and call it a day.
The White House kept quiet about these failed nominations, but come on, we all know it’s a big oopsie on their part. Not to worry though, because Biden’s got almost 50 other nominations and renominations to the Senate, including acting Labor Secretary Julie Su. Always good to have a backup plan, right? And just to rub salt in the wound, Biden announced his 44th round of judicial nominations, like a mic drop moment. Let’s hope they do their homework on the Constitution before they show up to the big game, if you catch my drift.
