there he formed a close working relationship with his republican counterpart often collaborating with the other party to craft legislation. that bipartisanship and that working relationship played a key role in helping him secure a seat on the u.s. court of appeals for the first circuit in 1980. lame duck president jimmy carter nominated him just days after ronald reagan was elected. now, republicans could have just waited it out, but they let the appointment go through confirming him 80-10. a lame duck president confirming a federal judge? in 2016 republicans wouldn t even let president obama confirm merrick garland despite having 11 months left in his term. hold on, this story actually gets even crazier because a decade later in 1993 when president bill clinton needed to fill a supreme court vacancy, he
tell you that story because it s a story of bipartisanship that seems almost impossible to imagine in today s politics. back in the 1970s breyer was working as chief counsel to the senate judiciary committee under chairman senator ted kennedy. there he formed a close working relationship with his republican counterpart often collaborating with the other party to craft legislation. that bipartisanship and that working relationship played a key role in helping him secure a seat on the u.s. court of appeals for the first circuit in 1980. lame duck president jimmy carter nominated him just days after ronald reagan was elected. now, republicans could have just waited it out, but they let the appointment go through confirming him 80-10. a lame duck president confirming a federal judge? in 2016 republicans wouldn t even let president obama confirm merrick garland despite having 11 months left in his term. hold on, this story actually