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More Parsky Watch Parsky Watch - The Magazine Take the Parsky Watch IQ Test Visit the Parsky Watch Store	Back to Parsky Watch archives We "work well" with Parsky - Feinstein and Boxer Parsky Watch #5 May 21, 2002 FEINSTEIN AND BOXER: “WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY WELL WITH GERRY PARSKY.” Our main focus has been Gerry Parsky’s incompetence in overseeing state Republican political operations. It is now time, to shine some light on how he’s efforts provide aide and comfort to the Democrat attempt to stall and stop the President’s judicial selection process. In addition to being the President’s chief political agent in California, Parsky also heads up the eponymous Parsky Commission -- a weird hybrid committee responsible for selecting nominees for federal judgeships in California. In order to make crystal clear the bizarre mature of Mr. Parsky’s bipartisan creature, a brief primer in how federal judges are normally selected is in order. Ordinarily, a state's senior U.S. Senator from the president's party heads up selecting candidates for district court vacancies. Lacking a sitting U.S. senator from the president’s party, the task falls to the state’s leading congressmen from the president’s party. Under the system conceived and implemented by Gerry Parsky, however, subcommittees of three Democrats and three Republicans are selected for each of the four judicial districts in California. The Democratic committee members are chosen by Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer. These subcommittees examine applicants for judgeships and forward approved names to Parsky and his deputy. A candidate must be approved by at least four members of each subcommittee in order to move up to Parsky’s desk – in other words, Parsky has given Feinstein and Boxer veto power over who President Bush can name to the federal bench in California. Regardless of how Parsky and his defenders spin this, the Parsky Commission constitutes the pre-emptive surrender to a couple of liberal Democrats of a precious prerogative belonging to a Republican President. But hey, Gerry Parsky’s a results-oriented, business-kind-of-guy. Since his system was set up to whisk nominees through the confirmation process, what kind of results has it produced? Thirteen names have been forwarded to the White House: 8 Republicans, 4 Democrats and 1 independent. Two of these -- John Walter (Republican) and Percy Anderson (independent) – were confirmed this month. Four more – 3 Republicans and a Democrat – have been withdrawn. Stellar, Gerry. While any Republican with a brain and intact principles will blanche at Parsky’s decision to choose the better part of valor in the fight over the federal judiciary, Mr. Parsky’s system has gotten high marks from the Left. According to the Daily Journal, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer are “pleased” with the Parsky commission. "In fact, we've been working very well with Gerald Parsky," said Feinstein spokesman Howard Gantman. Even better, the far-left People for the American Way (PAW) give Gerry’s system a big thumbs up. Elliot Mincberg, general counsel for PAW, told the Daily Journal the Walker and Anderson nominations are typical of the sort of "consensus" nominees that activists on the left want from Bush and which he has refused steadfastly to give the courts. "The commissions lower the temperature on lower-court nominations," Mincberg said. "It puts the advice back into 'advise and consent.'" Well – we sure sleep better at night knowing the paladins of the Left appreciate Gerry Parsky’s efforts. At least somebody does.