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White House expected to announce federal appellate court nominations

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The White House is expected announce the names of about a dozen federal appellate court judges on Wednesday, focusing on judges likely to have the support of their home state senators, according to senior Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Democrats and Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have been wrangling over whether Democratic senators will have the power to block President George W. Bush's judicial nominations in their states.

The White House hopes to postpone that battle by focusing on nominees likely to have their senators' support, according to Senate Republicans working with the White House on the issue.

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Among the expected nominations expected is that of Roger Gregory for the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va. Gregory had been appointed to the court on a temporary basis last year by former President Bill Clinton.

Notably absent from the list of nominations is Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., who is a candidate for the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in San Francisco. Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., objects to the Cox nomination.

Judiciary Committee Democrats have objected to a decision by the panel's Republican chairman, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, to end a so-called "blue-slip" policy, whereby either senator from a state could block a presidential judicial nomination. Such a policy could give the Democrats the ability to block Bush appointments in 31 states.

Democrats say Republicans used that policy to block Clinton's judicial nominees. But Hatch says he never enforced a "blue-slip" policy and is using the same procedures that Democrats used for years when they controlled the judicial confirmation process.

Republicans accuse Democrats of trying to change confirmation rules to block Bush's conservative and anti-abortion nominees.

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