In his weekly Cheers & Jeers column, Opinion Editor Marty Trillhaase gives Jeers to ... U.S. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, R-Idaho:

Nine months ago, 81-year-old U.S. District Court Judge Edward Lodge announced he would be taking senior status, effective July 3. Where's the nominee? Who knows? When the last federal bench vacancy occurred in the 1990s, their predecessors - Larry Craig and Dirk Kempthorne - did everything by the book. They used a "vetting committee." They operated in the open. Ultimately, President Bill Clinton appointed B. Lynn Winmill. But Crapo and Risch have resorted to stealth and vague assurances. By taking this long, Crapo and Risch have left Idaho's federal courts - and the people who rely on them - in the lurch. With only Winmill working full time, you can count on a two-year delay before getting a trial date for your civil claim. Now it turns out the state is functioning under a "judicial emergency" declared by the Judicial Conference of the U.S. Courts. More here (2nd item).