The U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Judge Randy Smith to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action, said the 94-0 vote is proof that when President Bush's conservative judicial nominees are given up-or-down votes they easily win confirmation.
"Smith is only the first judge confirmed by the 110th Congress to the more important federal appeals courts," Hausknecht said. "Those appellate judges are the nominations to pay attention to over the next couple years."
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., had blocked the vote. She claimed the seat should go to a judge from California -- not Idaho, where Smith is from. She dropped her opposition when he was nominated to a different seat within the circuit.
Hausknecht said the addition of Smith, a judicial conservative, to the 9th Circuit signals "a small course correction."
"Because the 9th Circuit still has too many judges who want to banish the Pledge of Allegiance, support assisted suicide, and deny parental rights while allowing schools to indoctrinate first graders on sex," he added.
