By World's Editorial Writers

 

Frizzell finally gets Senate nod as federal judge

 

We agree with U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe that Greg Frizzell should frame the U.S. Senate's unanimous roll-call vote confirming him as the Northern District of Oklahoma's newest federal judge.

 

The vote is evidence that occasionally the U.S. Senate can put partisan politics aside and do the right thing.

 

For the first time in two years, the federal bench here is back to full strength. That should be reassuring to the residents of the 11-county district, to litigants waiting for their day in court and for judges juggling caseloads.

 

We're also sure that Frizzell, his wife Kelly, and their six children are relieved that a long, stressful wait is finally over. Frizzell gave up a good job to await confirmation. Last year he declined to seek re-election to the state court judgeship he'd held for a decade in anticipation of going on the federal bench, a lifetime appointment.

 

But even though there was no public opposition to his nomination and despite receiving a well-qualified ranking from the American Bar Association, nothing happened for months. Then, a grudgefest initiated by U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., with Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, flared up at the  

 

end of the year. The tussle was over another Bush nominee but it delayed a vote for Frizzell and some other worthy nominees.

 

After the Congressional session ended without a vote in December, Bush had to re-nominate Frizzell in January.

 

Inhofe appealed to new Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., to give Frizzell a vote as soon as possible.

 

Leahy made good on his word, and Inhofe publicly thanked him Thursday.

 

Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., also praised Frizzell at the vote. Specter once debated against Kent Frizzell, the nominee's father. The elder Frizzell served as attorney general of Kansas and as an energy official in the Nixon and Ford administrations.

 

For years Democrats and Republicans alike have played gotcha games with judicial confirmations. Inaction sometimes left qualified candidates unconfirmed when time ran out and administrations changed.

 

But that's not the case for Frizzell, who took his oath of office here Friday. He should have no trouble remembering that he became a federal judge on Groundhog Day.