Having Already Blocked One Black Gay Judge, Marco Rubio Finally Says Yes To Another

Back in October of 2012, President Barack Obama attempted to put Judge William Thomas on the federal bench. Judge Thomas reportedly was raised by a single mother of ten children, grew up on welfare and managed to graduate from Washington and Jefferson College and from Temple University. Before being elected to the Florida bench, he was an assistant state public defender.

Judge Thomas is also Black, and gay.

Senator Marco Rubio‘s poll numbers in October of 2012 were pretty good. There was talk of a run for president in 2016.

And then Marco Rubio embraced immigration reform, after the GOP got trounced in the 2012 elections.

Marco Rubio’s approval ratings never returned, nor has talk of a President Marco Rubio.

When President Obama nominated Judge Thomas, Marco Rubio gave his consent — a prerequisite to a judge being nominated and confirmed is both U.S. Senators from the judge’s home state must support the nomination.

When Senator Rubio’s poll numbers went south, he came up with a flimsy excuse and revoked Judge Thomas’ nomination — almost a year later. Of course, many progressives were outraged — Marco Rubio killed the chances of the nation to get its first Black gay judge appointed to the federal bench. Rubio’s “opposition to Thomas was especially puzzling, given that Rubio originally recommended him to Obama, only to turn around and oppose Thomas,” the Huffington Post notes.

But Marco Rubio just gave his approval to Judge Darrin Gayles.

The Huffington Post reports that “Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) has given the green light to the Senate Judiciary Committee to proceed with Gayles’ nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, a committee aide confirmed to The Huffington Post on Tuesday.”

Specifically, Rubio has submitted his “blue slip” to the committee, a crucial step in the confirmation process whereby a senator can unilaterally approve or block a judicial nominee from his or her home state.

Now that both of Gayles’ senators have submitted their blue slips — Florida Democrat Bill Nelson already turned his in — that signals to committee chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) to move forward with a hearing. Gayles still has to clear the committee and pass the Senate, but Democrats are expected to carry those votes. By turning in his blue slip, Rubio has removed the biggest obstacle to Gayles’ confirmation.

If confirmed, Judge Darrin Gayles, who is both Black and gay, would become the nation’s first. 

 

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