Gov. Matt Blunt and U.S. Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond were among the Missouri Republicans celebrating today in response to the U.S. Senate’s confirmation of Judges Stephen Limbaugh Jr. and Greg Kays to the federal bench. Both are deemed Republican-leaning.

Limbaugh, who currently sits on the Missouri Supreme Court, was confirmed to the federal District Court of Eastern Missouri.  Kays is a circuit court judge from Lebanon, Mo., and was confirmed to the federal Western District.

Limbaugh’s appointment gives Blunt another opportunity to appoint a member of the state Supreme Court. In a release, the governor praised Limbaugh for “many years of service on the Missouri Supreme Court and his confirmation to the federal bench.”

 ”He has proven to be a jurist who knows that a judge’s role is to interpret the law and not to legislate from the bench,” Blunt said.

         Blunt will get to choose from a three-person panel of options assembled by a special seven-person commission that’s made up of gubernatorial appointees, members of the Missouri Bar, and the chief judge on the state Supreme Court.

 That process has been a sore spot for Blunt, who has contended that his options tend — as a group — to be too liberal because a majority on the commission are deemed to lean Democratic (the Bar and the chief judge).

However, his allies dropped a move to get on the November ballot a proposal to change the state’s judicial selection system. Many Republican lawyers joined their Democratic colleagues to oppose the idea, saying the result would politicize the state courts.

Said Blunt on Tuesday: “While I do not select the three candidates (for Limbaugh’s vacancy), I am committed to appointing a Missouri Supreme Court judge who will faithfully interpret our constitution and will not legislate from the bench.

“In February, I commended Chief Justice (Laura) Stith for taking action to address some of the concerns I raised last summer regarding the Appellate Judicial Commission’s process of selecting judges.  I look forward to reviewing the qualifications of and meeting the Appellate Judicial Commission’s nominees for the Missouri Supreme Court.”

Later, Bond — who voted to confirm both judges — sent over his own words of praise:

“Judges Kays and Limbaugh are both outstanding nominees for the federal bench.  They share bipartisan support, have fine legal minds, long records of public service and represent the values and character of my Missouri constituents,” said Bond.

   Bond had recommended both judges to their federal posts. In his statement, he “emphasized that the judges’ Missouri roots will serve them well on the bench.” Kays is from Lebanon, while Limbaugh hails from Cape Girardeau.

In his statement, “Bond also pointed to the approval of Judges Kays and Limbaugh – who were voted out of the Judiciary Committee and Senate unanimously – as how the Senate confirmation process should work.

“ ‘This confirmation process has succeeded in producing two such men.  It should stand as an example of what the nominations process can be - a minority party and an opposition President producing bipartisan nominations approved unanimously by the Committee and considered without delay by the full Senate.’ “