January 31, 2017

2 Supreme Court hopefuls — Neil Gorsuch and Thomas Hardiman — are known to be coming to Washington as we wait for Trump's announcement tonight.

Obviously, Trump wants us to tune in for the prime-time TV show. At least one of the 2 is needed for cover. But perhaps both are cover for a third person.

I remember getting tricked by George Bush the day he nominated John Roberts. I blogged:
Bush is announcing the new nominee tonight. Apparently, her name is Edith. We're just not sure what her last name is...
There were 2 Ediths...
When Sandra Day O'Connor announced her plans to retire in 2005, it left George W. Bush with his first opportunity after more than four years in office to nominate a member of the Supreme Court. First Lady Laura Bush suggested that a woman should replace O'Connor and two female judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals—Edith Brown Clement and Edith Jones...—were reportedly among the leading candidates. Clement soon emerged as the rumored choice, but after ABC News published a story on its website that Clement was not Bush's pick, the attention turned to the candidate who had become known as the "Other Edith." Bush, of course, selected John G. Roberts....
I thought my quip was so cute — "Apparently, her name is Edith. We're just not sure what her last name is..." — and I was completely faked out.

44 comments:

David said...

Why do the potential nominees agree to make this into a beauty pageant? Because they have to, if they want the job.

Not everything has to be a show, Donald. This is a bad idea.

Brent said...

Met Edith Jones when my niece clerked f her just a couple of years ago.

Gosh how much better off this country would be today if she had the spot of any of the other women currently on the Supreme Court. Or of she were there in place of Justice Breyer.

We would have been in another Reagan Era of prosperity

Gusty Winds said...

The Judge that accepts this nomination, no matter how smart, clean, or ethical, is going to be dragged through the mud by the Democrats. It's make the Bork and Thomas hearings feel like Asian Shiatsu.

The GOP Senate better go to battle. They wanted a conservative Justice and Trump is going to give them one. Another thing he said he'd do.

Time to start swinging back Mr. McConnell.

Brent said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nonapod said...

Those close to the process warn that until it is announced, Trump could change his mind.

Trump puts the merc in mercurial.

traditionalguy said...

My money is on Hardiman. The Gorsuch guy is a western, independent thinker type educated at Oxford, England. He will act independent to be noticed,like Sandra Day OConnor did.

I think DJT is more comfortable with the Pennsylvania guy whom DJT's sister has seen up close and personal , and still recommends. And he is probably Catholic like Scalia. They say he is fluent in Spanish and in Bostonian dialect.

And Trump owes Pennsylvania something for the election. Colorado not so much.

traditionalguy said...

Trump seems mercurial but in the end he always stays loyal to those loyal to him. Which may be his only weakness.

campy said...

The GOP Senate better go to battle.

Yeesh, talk about your slim reeds to lean on.

David Begley said...

We need a poll.

Brent said...

Prefer Don Willett. More street smart than every single Democrat Senator. Far faster thinking. He would stick a scalpel in them with a smile, and they wouldn't know they were bleeding out slowly until they were in the Senate Demoxrat page boy meet-up room and saw themselves deftly filleted on TV.

John henry said...

Where can we see the announcement? Will this be carried live on the major networks? I am guessing yes but have not seen anything all day telling me to watch for it. Or at least not telling me where to watch for it.

I have my fingers crossed for a Whitehouse camera livestreaming to YouTube and inviting the MSM to tap into the YT stream.

I'll probably be disappointed again.

John Henry

Snark said...

Is Judge Wopner still alive?

Sebastian said...

Edith, Schmedith. Whether the first name is Bubba or Mohammed, Mary or Miriam, the last name is always Bork. In Mary/Mohammed Bork's America women will be having back-alley abortions, and so on, and so forth. In the culture war, judicial battlefield, originality doesn't count.

Anonymous said...

David said...
Why do the potential nominees agree to make this into a beauty pageant? Because they have to, if they want the job.


Or at least one of the jobs. It's likely Trump will have at least one more pick.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Anyone reporting on Judge Pryor's travel schedule today? Whereabouts unknown?

AlbertAnonymous said...

Wonder what the betting line is on Sally Yates?

janetrae said...

Hey, John Henry --

Looks like you almost get your wish! I just got the following email from the Whitehouse.gov:

The White House

Tonight at 8pm EST, we will be going LIVE on Facebook for President Trump to introduce his nominee for Supreme Court Justice.

You won't want to miss it!

Like @POTUS on Facebook and be sure to share with friends and family.


Tune In

Chuck said...

Such a freakout. Over what is obviously significant, but not revolutionary.

This mostly changes nothing at the Court, from a year ago. A Scalia-like judge (I hope!) replaces the great Scalia himself.

So what's the big deal? Ask the lefties that you encounter that question. They can have their opinions about whether Scalia was good or bad for American jurisprudence. But the question as to whether this is a startling turn for the Supreme Court isn't all that arguable. This isn't any great change.*

*Several justices, and many of the best and most knowledgeable court observers have noted that the change of one justice is never as simple as a 1-in-9 vote. The entire chemistry of the court changes, they say. Maybe so; I'm not in a position to doubt it. But we are in an era of highly partisanized Court nominations and confirmations. The Justices and the old time observers can decry that development as bad for the court; but it does lessen the mystery of chemistry on the Court. Vote, because elections have consequences. And after the election, the Justices vote.

Matt Sablan said...

"This mostly changes nothing at the Court, from a year ago."

-- I kind of agree. This appointment is a purely a defensive action for conservatives.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

Drill SGT, it's all but certain that Trump will have two or three more picks. The Court is awfully old, apart from the Obama judges. Which is now people are saying, don't fight this one; fight the next one.

Chuck said...

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...
Drill SGT, it's all but certain that Trump will have two or three more picks. The Court is awfully old, apart from the Obama judges. Which is now people are saying, don't fight this one; fight the next one.


You just never know. All the talk about the 45th President getting to pick "maybe three" justices was largely premised on a Hillary win. Followed by the replacement of Scalia, and then the calculated/timed retirements of Ginsburg and Breyer, to refresh the left wing with young blood. And who knows about an illness or death of a Kennedy or others...

But that's not happening. Ginsburg is now probably counting the days until a Trump presidency is done. And Breyer is watching his diet and seeing his cardiologist once a month.

tola'at sfarim said...

Ted Cruz is already in dc......


eric said...

I heard Ann Coulter and Ann Althouse will be in DC tonight.

I want an Ann to be on the supreme Court, I'm just not sure what her last name should be.

eric said...

Blogger Michelle Dulak Thomson said...
Drill SGT, it's all but certain that Trump will have two or three more picks. The Court is awfully old, apart from the Obama judges. Which is now people are saying, don't fight this one; fight the next one.


I want them to fight this one and lose. That way, the losing gets easier the next time.

Achilles said...

Chuck said...

But that's not happening. Ginsburg is now probably counting the days until a Trump presidency is done. And Breyer is watching his diet and seeing his cardiologist once a month.

Sorry Chuck, your hopes and dreams are going to be dashed. 78, 80, 83. are the ages of 3 of the leftist justices still sitting on the court. That will be 86, 88, and 91 by the end of the Trump presidency and after 2018 the senate will gravitate to a 60/40 permanent republican majority reflecting the fact there are 30 red states and 20 blue states. That is 6 solid conservatives in their 50's and 60's and judge Thomas. Going to be a great generation for Supreme Court Jurisprudence.

BN said...

"it's all but certain that Trump will have two or three more picks."

The exact penumbra is TBD.

Curious George said...

"eric said...
I heard Ann Coulter and Ann Althouse will be in DC tonight.

I want an Ann to be on the supreme Court, I'm just not sure what her last name should be."

Coulter.

Achilles said...

History lesson for democrats!

We don’t know yet who President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee will be, but we can be fairly certain that, irrespective of the evidence, Senate Democrats will denounce the nominee:

"– for supposedly not having shown “a sufficient commitment to the core constitutional values at the heart of our democracy”;

– for having a record that “raise[s] troubling questions about the depth of his commitment to the role of the Supreme Court and Congress in protecting individual rights and liberties under the Constitution”;

– for having a “particularly troubling” record on civil rights and for making “reactionary arguments”;

– for not being “genuinely concerned about the rights of women”;

– for “alarming” views on Roe v. Wade; and

– for working “to turn back the clock on the historic progress of recent decades.”

These specific charges, as it happens, were all leveled by Senator Ted Kennedy against … David Souter in 1990."

Trumpit said...

All of Trump's Supreme Court picks need to be Borked, then placed in a rocket ship and sent to Mars.

readering said...

Latest rumor I heard is that they guy picked to supervise preparation for Judiciary Committee hearings is a Gorsuch guy.

Wilbur said...

Her name is Edith Ann. And that's the truth.

Fabi said...

This is more exciting than The Bachelor finally!

Fabi said...

**finale** Stupid auto-cucumber!

Wilbur said...

David said...
Why do the potential nominees agree to make this into a beauty pageant? Because they have to, if they want the job.

Not everything has to be a show, Donald. This is a bad idea.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respectfully, I couldn't disagree more. I think it's important to for him to get out there publicly and demonstrate that he's proud of the pick. It's important for the 59% who are giving him approval ratings so far, and to show the public that whoever the pick is that he or she is not the monster the Left will try to paint them as.

FullMoon said...

traditionalguy said... [hush]​[hide comment]

Trump seems mercurial but in the end he always stays loyal to those loyal to him. Which may be his only weakness.


Yep, up to a point, apparently.
On The Apprentice, Schumer was Trump's "very good friend"
Now, he is "Crocodile tears Shumer."
This may get interesting, with Shumer having so much time and connections in govt. Shumer is capable of back stabbing and deception. Can Trump really go toe to toe with him?


David53 said...

I think it would be great if Trump held an impromptu press conference within the hour and said, "I changed my mind, I'm announcing my nominee right now." That would be fun!

Chuck said...

Achilles said...
Sorry Chuck, your hopes and dreams are going to be dashed. 78, 80, 83. are the ages of 3 of the leftist justices still sitting on the court. That will be 86, 88, and 91 by the end of the Trump presidency and after 2018 the senate will gravitate to a 60/40 permanent republican majority reflecting the fact there are 30 red states and 20 blue states. That is 6 solid conservatives in their 50's and 60's and judge Thomas. Going to be a great generation for Supreme Court Jurisprudence.


Um, what exactly are my "hopes and dreams"?

Theranter said...

"AlbertAnonymous Anyone reporting on Judge Pryor's travel schedule today? Whereabouts unknown?"

1:47 PM

Lots of talk the past few days that he is not under consideration anymore.
Seems Sykes is not either. (Darn!)

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

We're so tired of winning, we're probably going to get the more liberal one.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

Been burned too many times.

AlbertAnonymous said...

Theranter:

But the news always gets it wrong. And Trump likes surprises. So, anyone check Pryor's travel plans? has he been seen in his hometown today? Enquiring minds want to know.

Or maybe he'll nominate Harriet Myers...

Wasn't that the worst?

Bay Area Guy said...

I want Pryor. And if they Bork Pryor, I want Willett. And if they Bork Willett, we'll get Janice Rogers Brown -and all will be good with the world.

Bad Lieutenant said...

Trumpit said...
All of Trump's Supreme Court picks need to be Borked, then placed in a rocket ship and sent to Mars.
1/31/17, 2:54 PM

Oh Trumpie you're so cute!

Bad Lieutenant said...

Seriously though, would this mean, or imply, that Hardiman is next in line, i.e., in line for the next opening?