Obama reportedly considered appointing Hillary Clinton to the Supreme Court

Business Insider ^ | 02/04/2015 | Colin Campbell

[SeekAndFind]

President Barack Obama once mulled whether to make Hillary Clinton a Supreme Court justice, according to his top former adviser.

The Daily News reported Tuesday that former White House official David Axelrod said Obama considered offering Clinton the job after defeating her in the presidential primary six years ago. Axelrod made the claim in his new book, "Believer: My Forty Years in Politics."

The 2008 primary contest was highly charged and at times bitter. Now facing the general election as the Democratic nominee, Obama needed Clinton's supporters to rally behind his candidacy.

At the time, Obama was said to be considering Clinton as a potential vice president. However, that move risked undercutting his own campaign, which long argued Clinton wasn't the right fit for the White House. Some supporters urged Obama to offer Clinton a Supreme Court position instead.

"In exchange for this delicate dance, Obama ought to promise her whatever she wants, including if not especially the first shot at a Supreme Court seat. She’d be a great justice," Salon columnist Thomas Schaller wrote.

[BuffaloJack]

Why would one HAVE TO retire? That 9 justices thing is not called out in the Constitution anywhere. The Supreme Court has had as few as 7 and as many as 17 justices. It's just that 9 is traditional. One former president filled the court to 17 to offset the lopsided loading of his predecessor.

[Domangart]

One chipmunk per court.

[bgill]

Funny everytime she runs for POTUS, she gets an appointment.

[Revel]

She does not need the job. The statue of limitations has already run out on Whitewater.

[dandiegirl]

It’s time someone got the files on her and put her blackmailing arse in the slammer for good. BO too.

[bobby.223]

That photo has been well researched and 100% debunked as not Stevens.

[Verginius Rufus]

Obama has filled two vacancies on the Court. David Souter waited to retire until there was a Democrat in the White House (although he had been appointed by a Republican). The idea must be that Obama would have selected Hillary instead of Sotomayor or Kagan.

He appears to have made it a rule that all of his nominees will be women, since he passed up two opportunities to select Alcee Hastings.

[VerySadAmerican]

I think Axelrod means VJ was considering what to do with Hillary.

[JudyinCanada]

Well, she DOES belong in court. Just not that one.

[Rodamala]

One way to get her out of his hair for good.

He may want to consider polonium for that.