Only one of President Bush’s three nominees to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cheney said. A three-judge panel of that court last week ruled that the pledge violated the separation of church and state and cannot be said in schools.

“Given the decision on the Pledge of Allegiance, I’d say the 9th Circuit could use some new judges,” he said.

Bush has sent more than 100 judicial nominees to Congress, but only 57 have been confirmed while 90 federal judgeships nationwide are vacant, Cheney said.

The vice president has been speaking at GOP fund-raising events in states where the party hopes to pick up seats in the U.S. House and Senate.

“There is a strong Republican tradition here in Kansas, but there is no such thing as a safe state you can take for granted,” Cheney said.

On other topics, Cheney said the fighting in Afghanistan was only the beginning of the U.S. war on terrorism. Regimes like that of Saddam Hussein in Iraq are also a danger, he said.

“A regime that has gassed thousands of its own citizens, a regime that hates America … must never be permitted to threaten America with weapons of mass destruction,” Cheney said.

Later, Gov. Bill Graves said Cheney’s visit to Kansas helps the party mobilize supporters as well as raise substantial money. He said he expected more such visits by leading Republicans in the months ahead.