Judge Jane Kelly?

[bigdarryl]

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/white-house-vetting-jane-kelly-judge-supreme-court.html?_r=0

[NV Whino]

1. It just doesn't have the same ring to it as Judge Judy.

[bigdarryl]

2. She has some fairly progressive positions I just don't see how this pick makes

The rethugs change there minds about holding hearings.Just goes to show voting matters.If the dems got there asses out and voted in 2014 maybe we wouldn't be facing this shit

[Chan790]

3. It's a play against one Senator in particular.

Chuck Grassley is the chairperson of the Senate Judiciary Cmte. and is the only person who actually has a say on whether hearings get scheduled or not. Sen. Grassley represents IA. Judge Kelly is from IA. Sen. Grassley heaped effusive praise on Judge Kelly when she was confirmed by the Senate 2.5 years ago unanimously to the federal bench. Sen. Grassley is up for reelection and is taking a polling hit at home for this position his fellow Republicans have put him in. Sen. Grassley kind of looks like an idiot in all this to his constituents if he blocks the nomination of a popular Iowan judge to SCOTUS whose praises he himself has sung.

Given a choice between making Turtle and Canadian Ted mad or keeping his seat...I think Obama thinks Sen. Grassley likes his job more than his fellow Republicans.

[bigdarryl]

5. WOW!! I wasn't aware Grassley was up for reelection this year and was taking a hit in the polls

My question is who on the democratic Party side is running against him.Or is the DC triple C not contesting this race.

[Chan790]

6. Unclear who he will face at this point...

there are three declared candidates (Tom Fiegen, Rob Hogg, Bob Krause) but apparently the state party isn't too enamored of any of them (I know nothing about them; I had to Google/Wikipedia for this information) because they are actively trying to recruit candidates still...the list of people who are exploring candidacy or have been discussed is long but includes former NFL QB Kyle Orton, both Vilsacks, and former Governor Chet Culver.

All three of the declared candidates lose to Grassley by ~22% in head-to-head polling, but Grassely barely breaks 50% against any of them...huge undecideds in that race. That polling is about 6 months old. More recently, in approval polling since this SCOTUS kerfuffle occurred, it's there we've seen Grassley's support starting to erode in just the past month...only a few % (3 in one, 2 in another) but considering that he was barely breaking 50% in GE polling against weak candidates, that could spell trouble for him.

Conversely, he could look statesmanly if he bucks his party...hence Obama's Judge Kelly gambit: get a SCOTUS justice confirmed in exchange for making Grassley's race easier for him.

[enough]

4. A VERY interesting story, and a good choice. (nt)

[sufrommich]

7. She's from Obama's same graduating class at Harvard.nt