senate republicans mount concert defense one president donald trump nominees federal appeal court wednesday suggest nonpartisan lawyers group rat leonard steven grasz qualify bench bias senate judiciary committee hear grasz nomination republicans universally praise nebraska lawyer trump want fill vacancy 8th u.s. circuit court appeal st. louis negative assessments american bar association evaluate federal court pick decades rare last give appeal court nominee rat qualify 2006. nominee withdraw aba 15-member stand committee federal judiciary vote unanimously poor rat grasz one member abstain report focus largely grasz advocacy conservative social issue include opposition abortion right many question whether mr. grasz would able detach deeply hold social agenda pamela bresnahan chair group judicial nominee vet committee say statement wednesday republican senators question credibility process terrific job ordinarily sometimes ridiculous case think ridiculous political republican senator orrin hatch say add would support grasz appointment dustup grasz come full senate continue confirm trump judicial choices amid republican complaints democrats obstruct process ten confirm far include joan larsen approve wednesday sit federal appeal bench cincinnati aba large lawyers group unite state say judicial evaluations non-partisan take account experience knowledge law factor political ideological view nebraska former chief deputy attorney general grasz defend state partial-birth abortion ban among laws grasz tell senators would bind follow supreme court abortion precedents say second interview aba ask repeatedly personal opinions social issue include abortion nebraska senator deb fischer republican call aba rat baseless political character assassination claim two main evaluators tie democrats bresnahan decline comment wednesday testify judiciary committee nov. 15. republicans defend trump court pick rat 'not qualify