"I have consistently railed against Republican senators who hold up President Barack Obama's judicial nominees for no good reason. For example, I haven't shut up about the lingering candidacy of a worthy man named Arvo Mikkanen, whose nomination in Tulsa has been held up, without explanation, by Tom Coburn, one of Oklahoma's Republican senators.

But two wrongs just make a larger wrong -- the major difference between what Menendez did to Shwartz and what Coburn has done to Mikkanen could be the extent of their candor -- and a funny thing happened on the way to Shwartz's failed judicial nomination. Under political pressure, Menendez agreed to meet with her again and, following their meeting, agreed to drop his reservations against the candidate.

Her nomination now moves on to the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it may or may not come up for a hearing, and then perhaps on to the floor of the Senate, where it may or may not be brought up for a vote. Daunting, I know. But at least her nomination isn't dead like Mikkanen's appears to be."

Get the Story:
Andrew Cohen: Time for a Beer Summit Between Coburn And Mikkanen (The Atlantic 1/16)

Related Stories:
Nomination of Arvo Mikkanen to federal bench is dead for now (1/3)
Levi Rickert: Sen. Coburn playing politics with Indian judge pick (09/14)
Opinion: Indian candidates need not apply to the federal judiciary (07/20)
Opinion: Arvo Mikkanen qualified to serve on federal judiciary (2/25)
JR Cook: Put aside party politics for Arvo Mikkanen nomination (2/23)
Republicans press Obama to pull Arvo Mikkanen's nomination (2/18)
Supporters defend Arvo Mikkanen from home-state opposition (2/10)
NCAI president says 'politics' behind opposition to Arvo Mikkanen (2/9)
Arvo Mikkanen handled tribal theft case, Seminole Freedmen case (2/8)
Opinion: Arvo Mikkanen federal court nomination and the white man (2/7)
Obama nominates Arvo Mikkanen, Kiowa, to serve as federal judge (2/3)