Anyone appointed to a federal judge position needs to understand the basics of U.S. law. They also need to understand essential elements of the U.S. Constitution.
Under the current president’s administration these two principles seem to escape his staffers who recruit so-called qualified candidates who don’t grasp necessary legal concepts. The parade of less than stellar candidates for the federal bench the last few years has been embarrassing.
One U.S. senator has been repeatedly successful in exposing Biden’s nominated judges. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) takes to heart his questioning of judicial nominees. This week he declared a victory in sending another wannabe packing.
Here’s how his legal dressing-down of this nominee went down:
Now news has broken that Charnelle Marie Bjelkengren’s federal judicial nomination is not being renewed.
From Blaze Media:
“Biden sent us a nominee who didn’t know the basics of the U.S. Constitution. Judge Bjelkengren is right to bow out,” Kennedy said. “Unfortunately, Biden just keeps trying to put unqualified people on the bench — for life. People who don’t know the law have no business running our courtrooms.”
Bjelkengren’s departure follows an interaction with Kennedy last year during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Kennedy is known for his sly wit and legal prowess. He asked Bjelkengren basic questions about the Constitution.
The nominee failed. Bjelkengren could not explain the content of Article II and Article V of the U.S. Constitution. Her failure brough quick and harsh criticism.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) reflected on the hearing days later, saying that Bjelkengren had “flunked” questions on basic civics subjects that “high schoolers across America learn each year.”
Bjelkengren serves on the Spokane County Superior Court, and Joe Biden nominated her for a federal district court position which is a lifetime appointment. Bjelkengren’s nomination advanced out of committee, but expired at the end of 2023 because the full Senate never voted on the nominee.
Bjelkengren’s name was no on the list of re-nominations that Biden submitted to the Senate this week. She will not serve on the federal judiciary.
Bjelkengren said in a statement that she asked the president not to re-nominate her “in order to advance the important work of the federal judiciary.” Hopefully she read a pocket-sized version of the Constitution on the flight back to Spokane.
Key Takeaways:
- Biden’s federal judge nominee went up in smoke after being exposed.
- Basic legal questions about the Constitution stumped the nominee.
- Kennedy ended Bjelkengren’s lifetime appointment to the bench.
Source: Blaze Media
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