Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) announced this week that he will block one of President Joe Bidens judicial nominees, William Pocan, which is weird since Johnson recommended him to the White House in the first place.

Biden nominated Pocan, a Milwaukee state judge, to a seat on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin after Johnson and Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) recommended him to the White House in June. Pocan was all set to testify at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

But late Tuesday, Johnson indicated he wouldnt turn in his so-called blue slip literally, a blue piece of paper signaling support from a nominees home-state senators for Pocan, which effectively kills his nomination. The Judiciary Committee got rid of the blue slip rule for appeals court nominees, but it still honors it for district court nominees like Pocan.

Weirder still is Johnsons statement on why he wont support Pocan.

Since Judge Pocans nomination, I have been hearing concerns from the Green Bay legal community that they needed a judge who is locally based and actively involved in their community, the Republican senator said. That is not the case with Judge Pocan.

Its true that Pocan does not live in Green Bay, where the court seat hes nominated to is based. But Pocan lives nearby and has said hed relocate to Green Bay if he was confirmed, according to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

Whats more, Sen. Johnson knew full well back in June that Judge Pocan did not live in Green Bay, Durbin said at the start of Wednesdays hearing, sans Pocan. Yet that did not prevent the bipartisan Wisconsin federal nominating commission from recommending Judge Pocan to Sens. Baldwin and Johnson, and it did not prevent Sen. Johnson from joining Sen. Baldwin in recommending Judge Pocan to the White House.