POTUS Nixes SOS to SCOTUS

During a NBC’s Today show segment yesterday on Supreme Court Justice John Paul Steven’s retirement, Senator Orrin Hatch(R-Utah) said he's heard Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's name mentioned as a possible replacement. Hatch appeared on the show with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy when he made his remark. The Utah Republican simply said: "I heard Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's name today and that would be an interesting person in the mix."

Matt Lauer asked, “In your opinion, would she be qualified?” Hatch responded, “I have a high respect for her and think a great deal of her, but I’m not going to pre-judge that.” Hatch didn’t say he’d support a Clinton nomination, but he did say "I like Hillary Rodham Clinton." He also added that he believes she’s done a good job for Democrats.

Hillary Clinton, a Supreme Court Justice? For a short time yesterday, blogs embraced the idea. Then, Vanity Fair’s Juli Weiner had an article posted before noon about the Internet reaction. She wrote:

... [T]he Web punditry has already begun issuing pronouncements on Supreme Court Justice Clinton. Even before today’s Today rumor mongering, Slate’s Emily Bazelon wrote that “Clinton has all the makings of a full-throated, strong-minded liberal stalwart on the bench.”  The Daily Beast’s Mark McKinnon agrees: “Stripping away the drama, the politics and psychobabble, she’d be a great choice for Obama and the Democrats. She’s as smart and as qualified as any prospect her party could nominate.”  Seventy-one percent of NPR.com readers also say they would welcome a Clinton nomination.

 

On the other hand, Mediaite’s Glynnis MacNicol suggests embracing the politics and psychobabble, and is positively giddy about the potential procedural spectacle: “I’m not sure a Supreme Court confirmation hearing can ever be considered must-see TV, but a Clinton nomination might make it so.” True! It is just too bad for C-SPAN that Stevens is not retiring in time for May sweeps.

 

Many people believe a Hillary Clinton nomination would sail through Congressional confirmation hearings. Some think her nomination would also spare Obama the collateral political damage that the nomination of a far left nominee is sure to create. Sadly, her nomination is not to be. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters, who asked yesterday, that the president does not want Clinton to change jobs. Gibbs said:"The president is going to keep her as his Secretary of State.”

Good call? (Don’t forget Secretary Clinton has gone on record saying she’ll only serve one term as SOS.) His decision makes her available for other duties come 2012.

The AP has managed to confirm seven of the ten candidates Obama is considering. They are: Ninth Circuit Court Judge, Sidney Thomas; former Georgia Chief Justice, Leah Ward Sears; Federal Appeals Court Judges, Diane Wood and Merrick Garland, Solicitor General, Elena Kagan; Michigan Governor, Jennifer Granholm; and Homeland Security Secretary, Janet Napolitano.

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2010/04/another-name-on-presiden... http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2010/04/12/ap-on-supreme-court-hillary-no-this-... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/09/AR201004...