Georgia's Congressional Democrats have sent a letter to President Barack Obama's White House counsel expressing shock and disappointment over a proposed deal awaiting White House approval that allowed the state's Republican senators to select four candidates for six federal judicial posts in Georgia.

The letter, sent Tuesday night to White House counsel Kathryn Ruemmler, complained that the Democratic congressional delegation's efforts to recommend candidates and keep abreast of the process to fill the state's open federal judicial seats had been stonewalled by her office.