Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky blamed Senator McConnell for the breakdown of a deal with President Biden to recommend an anti-abortion advocate as a Kentucky federal judge.
Rand Paul tore into the Senate Minority Leader for not taking him abroad and having the President propose Chad Meredith for the vacancy in the Dist. Court in the Eastern District of Kentucky. He said that he has supported Meredith for a long, and was behind him when Meredith was put up for a dissimilar nomination.
Rand Paul revealed that he considered Meredith competent for the post of judge. He attacked Senator McConnell for not drumming up backing for him and communicating. He accused the minority leader of a secret pact with the President that too fell apart.
Rand Paul said that McConnell effectively destroyed the plan to nominate Meredith for the post as he did not return Meredith’s blue slip. He said that McConnell lacked the courtesy to reach out over the scheduled recommendation of a Republican attorney for the post of a federal judge in Kentucky.
Rand Paul’s Tirade Has Exposed Rift Between Republican Senators
Paul Rand’s tirade exposed the rift between the two senior Republicans and upset an exceptional opportunity to get a Democratic President to get a conservative advocate chosen for a judicial appointment for a lifetime.
The 2 senators had reportedly worked on several federal and judicial nominees when the Republicans were in power under Trump. But this sort of opportunity never arises under an opposition party President.
In such positions, the President normally chooses the contender without input from the home-state senators. Meredith was a strong choice for the Republicans and would have a bonus to get elected under a Democratic Senate and President.
Biden’s plan for nominating an anti-abortion judge was strongly opposed by progressives and Democrats. They were strongly against a Federalist Society member who had argued against access to abortion.