White House Is Said to Be Vetting Iowa Judge for Supreme Court Seat

[iandhr]

Source: NY TIMES

WASHINGTON — The White House is vetting Jane L. Kelly, a career public defender turned federal appellate judge, as a potential nominee for the Supreme Court, as President Obama closes in on a decision that could reshape the court for decades and create an election-year showdown with Republicans.


The Federal Bureau of Investigation has been conducting background interviews on Judge Kelly, 51, according to a person with knowledge of the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the White House is closely guarding details about Mr. Obama’s search to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The White House declined to comment, and Judge Kelly said through a judicial assistant in her Cedar Rapids, Iowa, chambers that she was not granting interviews on the matter.


Judge Kelly won quick and unanimous confirmation by the Senate three years ago to her current post on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. Her nomination could intensify pressure on Senator Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa and the chairman of the Judiciary Committee, to break with his party and hold hearings on Mr. Obama’s Supreme Court candidate.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/white-house-vetting-jane-kelly-judge-supreme-court.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur

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This is a brilliant strategy. The process of nominated judges to lower courts usually start with the Senators from the states where the judges are from. Grassley recommended Kelly and she was unanimously confirmed by the Senate. The Republicans are painted into a big corner because they will not be able to come up with a legitimate reason to block her.

[TygrBright]

1. Cue that Obama-on-the-broad-grin "You mad, bro?" meme card... n/t

[Justice]

4. +++++ infinity

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

11. Or this one...

[GoneFishin]

2. Yeah. Choose Grassley's judge. That'll show 'em whose boss.

[iandhr]

5. She was a career public defender.

Or did you miss that part? For these types of appointments centers tend to recommend moderate people who are noncontroversial and thus will be confirmed by very large margins

[TeamPooka]

6. I do like that part. PD's have a good moral sense of justice. nt

[tk2kewl]

7. big plus in my book

[GoneFishin]

8. I hope your are correct, but I have my doubts.

[femmocrat]

3. She certainly seems tough enough to endure the confirmation process. nt

[SoCalMusicLover]

9. He Might As Well Start Nominating Some Repubs

Heck, find the most Right Wing judge out there, and throw their name out in nomination.

The repubs have stated that they have ZERO intention of even considering any nominee he names, and you can be sure that they will.

Obama could bring Reagan back from the dead and nominate him, and the repubs will still not consider him.

[Arazi]

10. I predict they will go with "new president needs to select"

Over and over and over

Whats crazy is do they really think President Trump will make a good selection?

[houston16revival]

12. Trump will

do what they want

I don't believe he is this unpredictable loose cannon

When in power he would be totally right wing, fox would be calling the shots