If at first you don't succeed...after Sen. Marco Rubio blocked the nomination of out black gay judge William Thomas back in 2012, President Obama has nominated Judge Darrin Gayles, an out state court judge, to serve on the same federal court.
Gayles, who received an endorsement from the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund in his last selection, was nominated to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida.
Rubio withdrew his support of Thomas by withholding his "blue slip" on the nomination, causing Sen. Patrick Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, to not allow it move it forward since Thomas lacked the support of one of his home-state senators. This time around though, Rubio has suggested he won't block the nomination.
“I welcome today’s four nominations to the district courts in Florida. As I previously indicated to the President, I do not anticipate having an objection to moving forward on any of these nominations pending the outcome of the customary background check conducted on every nominee,” he said in a statement. “I am disappointed, however that given the opportunity to fill four vacancies on the court, the White House has declined to nominate any of the Republican finalists jointly suggested by Senator Nelson and myself.”
We shall see.
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