President Obama’s nominee to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Berkeley professor Goodwin Liu, has requested that his nomination be withdrawn. His withdrawal follows a failed cloture vote on the petition for his nomination. 

Liu’s background has been covered in depth elsewhere. In addition to being very liberal, Liu was expected to be a strong candidate for nomination to the Supreme Court in the future. 

One of the most interesting aspects of the Liu nomination is the role that Ed Whalen, president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center and blogger at National Review‘s Bench Memos, played in blocking him. Whalen drew attention to Liu’s troubling ideas early on, and did more than anyone else to raise questions about Liu’s eligibility. It’s worth wondering whether Liu would be the nominee today if not for Whalen’s efforts.