SENATORS ASK FOR SAME-DAY AUDIO | Trump Meeting With SCOTUS Potentials | Happy (Almost) Fourth of July!
July 3, 2018
THE FINAL FOUR
|It’s not even been a week since JUSTICE ANTHONY KENNEDY announced his retirement, and word has it that PRESIDENT TRUMP has already met with four potential nominees to replace the high court’s critical swing vote. A person familiar with the matter noted that Trump was mostly focused on only two of those people, although Trump says he still plans to meet with “two to three more” candidates. It’s been reported that the four who’ve already been interviewed are Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Raymond Kethledge and Amul Thapar, and apparently Trump has repeatedly told advisers that he likes the idea of nominating a female justice in a climate where women on the Democratic side of the political aisle are playing such a pivotal role.
THERE'S A REASON THEY'RE CALLED THE "FIGHTING IRISH"
|Eliana Johnson with POLITICO explains how AMY CONEY BARRETT “vaulted” onto the president’s SCOTUS shortlist. She notes that it was a testy exchange with SENATOR DIANNE FEINSTEIN that helped make the former Notre Dame law professor, and current jurist on the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, a favorite among conservatives who fear liberals target them for their faith.
CHECKS ALL THE BOXES
|Aaron Blake with The Washington Post also reports on AMY CONEY BARRETT who he calls the one potential nominee “who makes too much sense.” Blake writes, “As far as reinventing the court for decades to come, she’s everything Trump’s base could want. But she also gives something Trump something less tangible: The opportunity to stoke a culture war.”
'CAUSE YOU'RE A DREAM TO ME, DREAM TO ME
|“For DONALD TRUMP, image is everything. How you look is a major marker for how you will do in Trump’s world. You need to look the part for him to imagine you in the job. Your personal story has to stand out in the crowd.” That’s CNN’s Chris Cillizza kicking off his latest piece arguing AMY CONEY BARRETT is someone straight out of the president’s dreams.
THE IRONY OF IT ALL
|Jeffrey Toobin writes in The New Yorker that although JUSTICE KENNEDY’S favorite word is most definitely “dignity”, he still somehow decided to “turn over his precious seat on the Supreme Court to the least dignified man ever to serve as president.”
ED BOARD OVERTURE
|The Editorial Board of The Wall Street Journal reacts to what it’s calling “the abortion scare campaign” by arguing that “predictions of doom” for the fate of gay marriage and abortion are way off base. WSJ: “Our view, supported by more than a little reporting, is that even though they think Roe was wrongly decided, most of the current conservative Justices would shy from overturning it and handing abortion law entirely to the states. The exception is Justice Clarence Thomas, who has made his intentions clear.”
BEST FOR LAST
|News broke yesterday that SENS. CHUCK GRASSLEY and PAT LEAHY sent a letter to CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS requesting that all oral arguments next term have same-day audio. Their letter cited data from Fix the Court and they noted that such a move would lead to greater “appreciation of – and confidence in – the rule of law that safeguards our constitutional system.” Wondering why this is a big deal? Check out this statement from Executive Director of Fix the Court, GABE ROTH and read a piece from yours truly that articulates the importance of improved transparency at the Supreme Court.
HAPPY (ALMOST) FOURTH
|Wishing you and your family a Happy Fourth of July! SCOTUSDaily will return to your inbox Thursday with more news on the Supreme Court nomination.
SCOTUS VIEWS
No, Trump Should Not Abandon His Supreme Court List
Los Angeles Times“For Trump, sticking to the list would please more people than any other option within the realm of the possible. It would also have the most democratic legitimacy because this is what the president very explicitly campaigned on. That seems like a good standard to adhere to these days. Liberals who demand that the president untether himself from this commitment and go with his instincts may not have thought through how that might work out.”
Here's Who Trump Should PIck For The Supreme Court
The Washington Post“The best choice for the opening is Judge Raymond Kethledge of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. The 51-year-old judge from central casting — just like Neil M. Gorsuch — is not as well-known as front-runner U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh. But the longtime Michigan resident brings political upside to the process that Kavanaugh and several other contenders cannot.”
OTHER NEWS
What The Supreme Court Vacancy Means For The Internet
Bloomberg“The next Supreme Court will likely have to make even more tech-related decisions, including on cases related to net neutrality, antitrust enforcement and computer searches at the border. Whoever replaces Justice Kennedy could tip the court’s balance. But which way?”