1.   Despite the offensive on judicial vacancies, Clinton has generally taken pains to avoid controversial confirmation battles.

2.   Gorton had initially accepted but then turned down an earlier invitation to join Murray in interviewing three finalists for a federal judicial vacancy in Eastern Washington.

3.   In response, the Senate began to make progress in reducing judicial vacancies.

4.   Simpson, who spoke to the group from Cody, Wyo., also criticized Congress for failing to fill many judicial vacancies over the past two years.

5.   The continuing failure of President Clinton and the Senate to fill judicial vacancies will exacerbate the problem, the justices told a House Appropriations subcommittee.

6.   The Republican leadership cannot be proud of its laggard approach to judicial vacancies, or the serious case backlogs that have resulted in some jurisdictions.

7.   These figures in turn played a major role in securing the support of Sen. Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., for the judicial vacancy.

8.   While he is at it, Clinton might consider using his recess authority to challenge the Senate on judicial vacancies.

9.   In the weeks between his defeat and his departure he had used a new law to fill judicial vacancies with representatives of the defeated Federalists.