Pres. Clinton nominated Ted Stewart, a conservative Utah Republican strongly disliked by enviros, to a federal judgeship yesterday, caving in to the wishes of Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Orrin Hatch (R-Utah). Hatch has been stalling the confirmation process for a number of Clinton’s judicial nominees, and the administration hopes that the nomination of Hatch’s chosen man will now speed things up. But White House spokesperson Barry Toiv said Hatch has not promised to confirm Clinton’s other nominees. Stewart, currently chief of staff for Utah Gov. Mike Leavitt (R), raised the ire of environmentalists during his tenure as head of the Utah Natural Resources Department.
