SAN FRANCISCO — Ninth Circuit nominee John Owens enjoyed smooth sailing in a confirmation hearing Wednesday before the Senate Judiciary Committee despite a dispute between California and Idaho senators over “ownership” of the seat.
That political quarrel continued to simmer, but never reached full boil. Sen. Dianne Feinstein opened the hearing with a lengthy argument for why the seat vacated by Judge Stephen Trott in 2004 belongs to California and its senators. She seemed pleasantly surprised when Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the ranking Republican on the committee, took only a few minutes to state the Republican objections.
