Will Daschle Block Another Judge?

From today's Rapid City Journal comes a story about whether Daschle will block yet another judge that South Dakota groups want confirmed:

Another round in the partisan fight over federal judicial nominees befalls the U.S. Senate today.

Republican Senate candidate John Thune entered the fray by issuing a news release Monday asking Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., to make a procedural vote that would allow an up-or-down confirmation vote on judicial nominee William Myers of Idaho.

"Mr. Myers would bring common sense and reason to the most liberal appeals court in the nation," Thune said in the release.

Thune cites what he calls Myers' strong background in agriculture and natural resources issues.

President Bush nominated Myers to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

Thune cited a letter sent to Daschle and Johnson from four South Dakota organizations in support of Myers.

Myers "is concerned with the sustainability of natural resources and agriculture. He is a judicial nominee whose record shows fair consideration of all affected interests," reads the letter signed by the presidents of the South Dakota Public Lands Council, the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association, the South Dakota Cattlemen's Association and the Black Hills Regional Multiple Use Coalition.

There's no mention of this matter in today's Argus Leader.