inton ▁in ▁his ▁final ▁days ▁as ▁president . ▁ ▁Go ode ' s ▁nearly ▁three - year ▁nom ination ▁remains ▁the ▁fourth - long est ▁federal ▁appe als - court ▁jud icial ▁nomin ations ▁that ▁was ▁never ▁given ▁a ▁full ▁Senate ▁vote , ▁behind ▁those ▁of ▁Hel ene ▁White , ▁Henry ▁Sa ad , ▁and ▁Terr ence ▁Bo yle . ▁ ▁In ▁April ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁Bush ▁nominated ▁Carlos ▁Be a ▁to ▁the ▁N inth ▁Circ uit ▁seat ▁to ▁which ▁Go ode ▁had ▁been ▁nominated . ▁Be a ▁was ▁confirmed ▁by ▁the ▁US ▁Senate ▁in ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Work ▁for ▁California ▁governor ▁On ▁February ▁ 1 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 , ▁California ▁Governor ▁Gray ▁Davis ▁named ▁Go ode ▁as ▁his ▁secretary ▁of ▁legal ▁affairs . ▁ ▁Go ode ▁called ▁the ▁post ▁an ▁" important ▁job " ▁in ▁a ▁newspaper ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁News - Enter prise ▁that ▁was ▁published ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁" I ' m ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁person ▁who ▁looks ▁forward , ▁not ▁back ward ," ▁he ▁told ▁the ▁paper ▁in ▁reference ▁to ▁his ▁exp ired ▁federal ▁jud icial ▁nom ination . ▁ ▁During ▁his ▁time ▁working ▁for ▁Davis , ▁Go ode ▁was ▁the ▁point ▁person ▁during ▁two ▁controvers ies . ▁One ▁involved ▁a ▁$ 9 5   mill ion ▁software ▁contract ▁with ▁Oracle ▁Corporation ▁and ▁North rop ▁Gr um man ▁that ▁state ▁officials ▁res c ind ed ▁in ▁ 2 0