Comments on: Exit Justice Souter

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 04 May 2009 01:16:00 +0000

as long as the SCOTUS justice has compassion and can empathize with people, I won’t care what his/her walk of life is.

By: Gene Fidell

Gene Fidell — Sun, 03 May 2009 03:02:00 +0000

Mary, make it 4. Justice Breyer was in the Army Reserve.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:53:00 +0000

The post above is probably right that the President will pick a minority or female to create diversity on the court. But I think the President should really think outside of the box and get someone who has really different life experience to add diversity. I think he should consider appointing someone who has been on the other side of the law and done time in the joint. A paranoid-bitter excon could really add something to the court like they do to this blog.

By: Cossio

Cossio — Sat, 02 May 2009 03:54:00 +0000

There is speculation that the President's short list includes that weasel whos name I will not mention. The weasel that argued that JAGs should not be recruited from Harvard because of Don't ask/Don't tell.

Since most the Left hates the military I seriously doubt Obama will choose an individual with any military experiance.

No, I think he'll choose a certain someone who is "Latino" and a "Female" (yes, a certain Puerto Rican) those fufilling two afirmitive action criterea that the Left places over qualified white males.

By: NBM3

NBM3 — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:16:00 +0000

It would be nice to have a nominee with some military experience. However, I think the nominee will either be Judge Kim McLane Wardlaw or Judge Johnnie B. Rawlinson both of whom are from the 9th Circuit. My prediction: Rawlinson.

I’ve seen Rawlinson in action. She was one of the judges on a panel that considered a FOIA appeal (which I lost). Rawlinson was very impressive during oral argument.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:09:00 +0000

I read that he didn’t hire law clerks for next term — did no one notice that before today? Wouldn’t that telegraph that he was heading out?

By: Christopher Mathews

Christopher Mathews — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:36:00 +0000

John, I’ve been having an unseemly amount of fun telling my partners that the President’s nominee is “Harriet Miers. Boy, didn’t see that one coming.”

By: John O'Connor

John O'Connor — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:23:00 +0000

“Of course, there is a CAAF judge early in her tenure who served in the USMC.. but that is very unlikely. I figure she is very much more qualified than say, a White House aide who never sat on the bench.”

My professional regard for Judge Ryan notwithstanding, I figure Luttig and Thomas clerks won’t heavily populate the short list.

By: Bridget

Bridget — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:51:00 +0000

Well, Mary is correct, many women in the age group were young at a time when there were few women serving and when marriage, let alone pregnancy was a basis for separation. Only women who served a significant time post-the initial creation of the AVF have much time in service. Until 1976, women were 2-4% of the total force. So, military service of any kind was not common for women.

Of course, there is a CAAF judge early in her tenure who served in the USMC.. but that is very unlikely. I figure she is very much more qualified than say, a White House aide who never sat on the bench.

By: M. T. Hall

M. T. Hall — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:31:00 +0000

Anon 0918, as a female veteran myself, I cheerfully concur with your statement that being female and having military service are not mutually exclusive. But the ranks of female judges or politicos likely to get a nod generally don’t have military service on their resumes. Those females likely to be considered are probably 45 or older, and if they had military service, it was likely for a short period of time when they were in their 20’s, when female representation in the military was significantly lower than today’s numbers.

Interesting information from Christopher Mathews (but we have come to expect that from him). Gov. Granholm was born in Canada, which opens up a whole other line of Supreme Court trivia.

By: Christopher Mathews

Christopher Mathews — Fri, 01 May 2009 14:12:00 +0000

No Man: There’s actually a fair amount of speculation that the nominee may be Jennifer Granholm, the incumbent Governor of Michigan, who is also a former state attorney general and AUSA. The governor is a Harvard Law grad and bears a passing resemblance to Meg Ryan (the actress).

By: Mike "No Man" Navarre

Mike "No Man" Navarre — Fri, 01 May 2009 13:30:00 +0000

Meg Ryan for SCOTUS!