<Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> <P> Senatorial courtesy is a long - standing unwritten, unofficial, and nonbinding political custom (or constitutional convention) in the United States describing the tendency of U.S. senators to support a Senate colleague in opposing the appointment to federal office of a presidential nominee from that Senator's state . The practice is motivated by a general sense of collegiality among Senators and the assumption that a Senate colleague will have the best first - hand knowledge of the personal character and qualifications of nominees from his or her own state . It is also viewed as an "important source of political patronage" for U.S. senators . </P> <P> The precedent that developed into senatorial courtesy began with the August 9, 1789, nomination by President George Washington of Benjamin Fishbourn to the post of naval officer for the port of Savannah, Georgia . Given the infancy of the U.S. federal government and the need to populate the executive offices the First Congress was busy creating in 1789, the Senate had previously given prompt consent to the president's nominations to federal posts . When debate moved to consider the Fishbourn nomination three days later, both senators from Georgia objected, with Senator James Gunn rising to speak against the nomination--likely because of his own personal animosities toward the nominee . Consequently, the Senate deferred to the Senator from Georgia and rejected the nomination . </P>

The unwritten rule of senatorial courtesy applies to what appointments
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