HEY GORSUCH, SAVE THE DRAMA FOR YO MAMA
February 3, 2017
NOW & FOREVER
|USA Today’s Richard Wolf explains how JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH could impact current and future Supreme Court cases if he were to join the highest court in the land. Turns out, he’s argued that judges should take back some of the authority they have ceded to federal agencies that enforce labor, environmental and anti-discrimination laws — an area in which Gorsuch is likely to make the greatest impact.
YOU'RE SO VAIN, YOU PROBABLY THINK THIS NOMINATION IS ABOUT YOU
|“This is a rare Supreme Court confirmation fight that will be more about the nominator than the nominee.” That’s Carle Hulse with The New York Times noting that the nomination of JUDGE GORSUCH and its outcome will have everything to do with the man who put him in the hearing room, along with questions of executive overreach and separation of powers. Hulse: “It is easy to envision [Democrats] pressing him directly on whether he found the recent executive order on immigration, and perhaps others, to be constitutional. The wrong answer for Democrats or a refusal to respond directly could then translate into a reason to oppose Mr. Gorsuch.”
THE SADDEST STORY YOU'LL READ ALL WEEK
|“For JUDGE THOMAS M. HARDIMAN, the road to the Supreme Court ended in Altoona. This week’s high court runner-up — who helped pay for his education by driving a cab — drove east from his office in Pittsburgh shortly after noon on Tuesday, just as White House officials were whispering that he was heading toward Washington to an “Apprentice”-style finale with JUDGE NEIL GORSUCH where PRESIDENT TRUMP would announce his first Supreme Court pick. At around 3 p.m., under the watchful eyes of a CNN camera crew, he stopped at a gas station in Altoona, then disappeared. The reason for his 100-mile trip — whether it was to visit an old friend or to try to make powerful new ones at the Trump White House — remains a something of a mystery.” Glenn Thrush and Maggie Haberman with The New York Times report on why Judge Hardiman will always have Altoona.
HEY MAMA, DON'T WANT NO DRAMA
|Greg Gordon with The Sacramento Bee notes that the last time Gorsuch was a household name inside the beltway, it was more than 30 years ago when the late ANNE GORSUCH BURFORD “stood at the center of the worst scandal in the history of the Environmental Protection Agency.” Fast forward and now her son, NEIL GORSUCH, is a nominee for the U.S. Supreme Court and people are still talking about his infamous mama.
LOVE TO HATE
|If JUDGE GORSUCH joins the Supreme Court, he’ll be in good company with colleagues who share his dislike of the deference that courts give to how agencies interpret their statutes. Who knew SCOTUS served Haterade. Marcia Coyle with The National Law Journal reports.
PODCAST DU JOUR
|On the latest episode of Slate’s Trumpcast, Jamelle Bouie discusses what Democrats should do about TRUMP’S Supreme Court pick. Catch the full clip here.
OTHER NEWS
The tie between President Trump's Supreme Court nominee and Yankees GM Brian Cashman
The Washington Post“Until this week, Brian Cashman was undoubtedly the most prominent member of the Georgetown Preparatory School’s Class of 1985…But this week, the status of the most prominent member of the Class of ’85 was taken over by Neil Gorsuch.”
Where Have All the Supreme Court 'Pin Cites' Gone?
The National Law Journal“When you cite to a U.S. Supreme Court decision, you’re supposed to use the official record of case decisions: United States Reports. But there have been no U.S. Reports pin cites for high court decisions in the last three to four years.”
Under New Bill, Federal Appellate Court Based in California Could Be Split Up
The Wall Street Journal“Attempts to break up the sprawling federal appellate court anchored in California have advanced through Congress for decades, introduced with fanfare only to fizzle out in the face of opposition. But with Republicans now fully in control in Washington, new legislation proposed in the U.S. Senate Thursday to split up the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals could gain more momentum than the movement has had in years.”