We have 333 days left in President Obama's term of office.
A Supreme Court confirmation process takes an average of 67 days. #DoYourJob
— Senator Harry Reid (@SenatorReid) February 23, 2016
Seems like there may be another Democrat besides Obama crossing goals off his “rhymes with bucket” list, and his name is Harry Reid…
Brian Sandoval, Republican governor of Nevada, is being vetted for Supreme Court vacancy https://t.co/TZp66GFUno pic.twitter.com/EwqZGlSLkg
— Washington Post (@washingtonpost) February 24, 2016
From the Washington Post article:
The White House is considering picking the Republican governor from Nevada to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court, scrambling political calculations in what is expected to be a contentious confirmation battle in which Senate Republicans have pledged to play the role of roadblock…
White House press secretary Josh Earnest told reporters Wednesday he would not comment specifically on whether the administration was considering Sandoval because he did not want “to get into a rhythm of responding” to every report on a potential nominee. But he said that Obama was committed to finding “the best person to fill the vacancy at the Supreme Court,” regardless of party.
“The president’s focused on criteria that, frankly, is more important, and that is that individual’s qualifications, and their experience and their view of the law,” Earnest said. “That will take precedence over any sort of political consideration.”…
Cue the usual suspects:
Republicans immediately reject idea of Republican Supreme Court nominee: https://t.co/FJvluJJgv5 pic.twitter.com/nsXJkhLosQ
— Slate (@Slate) February 24, 2016
Excellent visual there, Senator. Wonder if the makers of that new prescription laxative are looking for celebrity spokesmodels?
Nevada polical expert Jon Ralston, in the Reno Gazette-Journal:
… Sandoval has talked privately about going back on the bench, which he left six years ago to save the state from Jim Gibbons II. He is a judge at heart, a guy who likes to weigh many pieces of evidence before making a decision. As much as he loves being governor, his temperament is more suited to a black robe. Will he ever have a better chance to reach the judicial pinnacle than this moment?
Would President Obama nominate him? The president might get blowback from some Democrats who want someone else. But he could make a strong case, politically, I suppose, that Sandoval could get confirmed.
But could Sandoval get through, especially after Republicans say they won’t hold hearings? This is where Prince Harry comes in. How delicious for him in his legacy year to get a Nevadan appointed to the high court by putting the Republicans in the position of trying to deny it to one of their own, and a Hispanic to boot? Peak Prince Harry…
Sandoval spox: "Neither Governor Sandoval nor his staff have been contacted by or talked to the Obama Administration…" on SCOTUS vacancy.
— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) February 24, 2016
Didn’t take long for the Washington Post — reminder: Company paper in the town whose monopoly industry is national politics — to spot the theatrical possibilities…
Is floating Brian Sandoval’s name for SCOTUS just an elaborate troll of Senate Republicans?
… Sandoval’s name out in the ether — a Hispanic Republican who is widely liked within his state and the broader GOP — makes it very hard for Republicans up in 2016 in blue/swing-y states to hold the line. For people like Sens. Mark Kirk (Ill.), Ron Johnson (Wis.), Pat Toomey (Pa.), Kelly Ayotte (N.H.) and Rob Portman (Ohio), there is real electoral danger in being seen as part of a too-radical or too-obstructionist Republican party in Washington. By floating a pick from Republican ranks, Obama/Reid back these GOP senators into a rhetorical corner. Trying to explain why you are flatly rejecting the possibility of a sitting Republican governor being appointed to the Supreme Court by a Democratic president is not any easy thing for even the most adept politician…
Always nice to share a win-win political story!
New poll: Ohio voters prefer Senate weigh a SCOTUS pick over delaying – by 15 pts
Sen Portman (R-OH) up for re-elex https://t.co/stXZWV1tSy
— Ari Melber (@AriMelber) February 24, 2016
Brian Sandoval makes way more sense as Bloomberg's running mate than as Obama's SCOTUS nominee, though I guess he could do both.
— Josh Barro (@jbarro) February 24, 2016
Seems a lot of conservatives are upset about Sandoval 4 SCOTUS story. Somewhere Prince Harry is holding up a "Mission Accomplished" banner.
— Jon Ralston (@RalstonReports) February 25, 2016
President Obama Pranks the GOP (SCOTUS/Sandoval Edition)Post + Comments (125)