[Conservative Firster]

A Tale of Two Ediths

By: Erick · Section: SCOTUS

Fred Barnes, among other conservative pundits in Washington, is placing bets on one of the Ediths being picked by the President. We know for sure that Edith Brown Clement had a meeting at the White House last week. We are also hearing that she had a phone call today.

Late tonight comes word that Specter was seen at the White House tonight.

People are buzzing that there is a nominee. I have no insider information on who that nominee is, but signs are pointing to one of the Ediths and, of those two, Clement seems to be ahead.

I am told that we don't have to worry about Gonzales. Of course, this came from my numero uno source who said Rehnquist was retiring. Though the source was redeemed with a quick email about O'Connor.

Update [2005-7-18 22:54:6 by Erick]: One more piece of news. Starting this past weekend I started receiving emails from people, some who I could verify and some not, trying to spin me that despite Clement's record, she is a conservative. There were enough emails from enough of a variety of people to make me think something was up. I might be reading too much into it, but it is interesting that a number of people are starting to talk about Clement the enigma as Clement the conservative.

Jul 18th, 2005: 22:42:51

Full discussion: http://www.redstate.org/story/2005/7/18/224251/384

[Types_with_Fist]

People are buzzing that there is a nominee.

We have a pope!

[Archon of the East]

... that despite Clement's record, she is a conservative

That scares me!!!!!

[Archon of the East]

...despite Clement's record, she is a conservative.

Please someone help me with this I am getting really uptight.

[LibertarianInExile]

I can't find any opinions by Edith Clement Brown. that make me secure in her convictions. She was employed by "Big Oil" in the past, which you can bet will be the only opposition the libs really dredge up--she was a maritime attorney. WTF could she have done with Jones, Walker, Waechter, Poitevent, Carrere & Denegre that makes her controversial? They defend big shippers in maritime cases. Nada I can think of controversial there.

http://newsmeat.com/judiciary_political_donations/Edith_Brown_Clement.php

But she sure writes like a future nominee, all right. Nothing of substance beyond the law, no opinions, no nothing. Could be a Souter, might not be. But I don't like not being sure, and I don't trust it. As a district court judge, out of more than 1,300 opinions she authored, only 17 were reversed, partially reversed, vacated or even remanded. She said at her Senate hearing that Roe is 'settled.'

According to an August 29, 2000, New York Times article, Donald B. Ensenat, Bush’s Yale fraternity brother and roommate, recommended Clement for the district court slot.

People for the American Way don't like her, but that isn't the same thing as her being conservative, especially given the stuff they're bitching about, which seem highly procedural:

http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=13514

I just don't know what to think, and that is not what I'm looking for in a SCOTUS nomination from the WH.