Posted on 07/12/2005 2:07:09 PM PDT by MaineVoter2002
Dems Leak Bush's Court Short List
Top Senate Democrats floated the names of potential candidates for the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a meeting with President Bush, describing them as...
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
Top Senate Democrats floated the names of potential candidates for the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a meeting with President Bush, describing them as the type of nominee who could avoid a fierce confirmation battle.
Several officials familiar with the discussion said Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and Judge Ed Prado of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, both of whom are Hispanic, were among the names mentioned as Bush met with key lawmakers from both parties to discuss the first high court vacancy in 11 years.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, noting a commitment by those involved not to discuss names.
Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the ranking Democrat on the committee, refused to confirm that they offered those two names, but said "those are two of the three I would think would have good support from both parties."
Bush was noncommittal about his choice to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who has resigned effective with the confirmation of her successor. "I'm going to be deliberate in the process," he told reporters at the White House.
Bush "didn't give us any names," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after the session had broken up.
Besides Reid and Leahy, Bush met with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee; and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn. Vice President Dick Cheney and White House Chief of Staff Andy Card also attended.
The administration has consulted widely with Democrats in the 10 days since O'Connor announced her plans to resign, and the early morning session at the White House was part of that effort.
The meeting came at a time when the president is under pressure from conservatives who want a court that will reverse precedent on abortion rights, affirmative action, homosexual rights and other issues. Some conservatives have criticized Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who is close to Bush and frequently mentioned as a potential candidate, questioning whether he would vote to overturn the landmark 1973 court ruling that gave women the constitutional right to an abortion.
For their part, Democrats are urging Bush to seek a "consensus candidate," one who would win confirmation without a bitter struggle. But they have relatively little leverage in purely numerical terms. Republicans hold 55 seats in the Senate and can confirm any of Bush's picks unless Democrats mount a filibuster. The White House would need 60 votes to overcome that.
Democrats have done extensive research on dozens of potential replacements for O'Connor and the names of Sotomayor and Prado have emerged, along with others, as among those viewed as acceptable. Leahy suggested the names in the meeting, although Reid's presence signaled his approval.
According to an official government Web site, Sotomayor was named a U.S. District judge in 1991 by former President George H.W. Bush, the president's father, and confirmed in August 1992. President Clinton nominated her for a seat on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals in 1997, and she was confirmed in 1998.
President Reagan nominated Prado to a seat on the U.S. District Court in 1984. The current President Bush picked him for his current post in 2003, and he was confirmed on a vote of 97-0.
Frist praised Bush for reaching out to Democrats, saying that what the administration is doing "is pretty unprecedented if you look back in history. He is reaching out aggressively. He has contacted - he or his staff have contacted - over 60 United States senators, each of the members of the Judiciary Committee, over half or two-thirds of the Democrats."
Democrats said that was fine - as far as it went.
"This certainly is a good first or second step," Reid said at a news conference outside the White House. "This process needs to move forward. And I was impressed with the fact the president said it would; there will be more meetings, consultations."
Officials familiar with the meeting said Reid was more blunt in private, telling Bush he didn't want to wind up reading about the president's eventual pick in the newspaper without having had a chance to offer his views beforehand.
Laura Bush, too, got in some gentle lobbying during the day.
"I would really like him to name another woman," the first lady said on NBC's "Today" show, in an interview from Cape Town, South Africa, where she is traveling. "I admire and respect Sandra Day O'Connor, but I know that my husband will pick somebody who has a lot of integrity and strength."
Bush seemed a bit surprised that Mrs. Bush told reporters what she thought. "I can't wait to hear to her advice - in person - when she gets back," he said in the Oval Office after a meeting with the leader of Singapore.
McClellan would not say whether the president was leaning toward selecting a woman. "The president is going to consider a diverse group of individuals for the vacancy that is available," his spokesman said.
Asaid, "No individual should have veto power over a president's selection."
Bush and Senate Republicans have said they hope to have O'Connor's replacement confirmed and sworn in before the court convenes for its new term in October. sked about Democrats' objections to specific candidates said to be under consideration, McClellan
Remind me why I bothered to work for Bush's reelection.
So are the Dems going to demand an investigation into who leaked this list, and whose career might be jeopardized by the leaking of this sensitive information? Will they call for the resignation of the leaker and browbeat any spokesperson who might stand in their way?
" The officials spoke on condition of anonymity, noting a commitment by those involved not to discuss names."
This is what passes for integrity in DC.
I'm already hesitant based on Sotomayor's profile from USA Today:
Sonia Sotomayor, 50, U.S. appeals court judge, 2nd Circuit Princeton University, A.B.; Yale University, J.D. The first President Bush put Sotomayor on a federal trial court in 1992, then President Clinton elevated her to the appeals court in 1998, so she likely would have support in both parties. Known as a moderate on the bench; Puerto Rican heritage is a plus.
Would it help if I leaked a list of John Kerry nominees to the Supreme Court?
So you could whimper and whine, like you are doing now.
has he given a name yet? hold your fire till the name is given.
He should say that he worked harder than ever to find a nominee that would pass Democratic muster but he couldn't find one that also fit the mold of Scalia and Thomas.
That is what he promised and until he breaks it by nominating someone outside of that mold, hold your fire.
I've got a headache today, so maybe I'm just not reading it right.
Bush "didn't give us any names,"
Because he's a fiscal conservative.
Oooops, I mean....
both of whom are Hispanic....
Bush will "SUpreme Court" us right into the Union of the Americas.
I'll oppose any pro-illegal Supreme Court Justice. I imagine a Hispanic that Bush picks WILL be pro-illegal (Amnesty, Trade, etc.)
Re#7 Indeed, Reid immediately complained that W didn't share any names...
Did Pres. Bush mention these names? The article isn't clear.
Bush "didn't give us any names," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada said after the session had broken up.
Well that's pretty clear.
Democrats have done extensive research on dozens of potential replacements for O'Connor and the names of Sotomayor and Prado have emerged, along with others, as among those viewed as acceptable.
Well, well. These look like names the Democrats offered to Bush.
Don't forget, the President nominates justices, not minority senate members.
Also, for the record, Sotomayor and Prado were both Reagan appointees.
I don't see Bush's short list here... I see the Dem's short list. In other words... meaningless.
We'll see.
If clinton liked her forget about it.
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