It’s not the president that his Senate foes are hurting when they stall confirmation of federal judicial nominees, says an editorial in New Jersey’s The Record newspaper, it’s the American people that are harmed:

“Conservatives may think they’re hurting the president by doing this, but it’s not Obama who has to wait months or years to get his day in court with a judge whose staff is drowning in paperwork from such a heavy caseload. It’s average citizens waiting for their day in court, for justice to be served.”

While the editorial notes the Senate’s confirmation this week of a new federal judge for New Jersey (see Gavel Grab), it says the federal court system in the state has been deemed a “judicial emergency” for its caseload, and three of its 17 federal judgeships still are vacant. “While partisanship in Congress is hardly a new revelation, the strain it is putting on the federal court system is unacceptable,” the editorial says.