Olson: Giuliani could nominate somebody like Janice R. Brown to court
By LibertarianHawk Posted in 2008 — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Since Janice Rogers Brown dominated our discussion about John Dean's column the other day, speculating on the possibility of GWB getting another Supreme Court nomination before his term ends, I thought this should be posted.
Giuliani campaign adviser Ted Olson gave an interview with ABCNews.com's Jan Crawford Greenburg talking about Rudy and judges. Here's a snippet:
How’s this for a litmus test: Would Rudy Giuliani nominate someone like Janice Rogers Brown—a staunch conservative, beloved by many on the Right and reviled by those on the Left?Olson didn’t hesitate.
“Yes,” he said. “I think he’d be impressed with her whole life story, her talent, her education--the way she pulled herself up from a very modest beginning, the inspiration her life would give to people—on top of her talent.”
But would he be willing to wage the fight a Brown nomination would provoke?
“Absolutely,” Olson said. “Rudy has never walked away from a fight.”
Granted, this is Olson speaking and not Giuliani. But, still, this is another very encouraging sign on the judicial nominations front for those worried about a Giuliani presidency.
I have to wonder what John Dean would think of this. Part of me thinks that tacit in his position that Democrats might be wise to do what they can to hold back any SCOTUS confirmation battle for the next president -- even if the vacancy happens during this president's term -- is the possibility that Giuliani could be the next president and would be more likely to nominate a moderate, O'Connor-like judge to the court.
Sorry to disappoint you, Mr. Dean. ;)
Hillary or Obama could nominate good judges, but they obviously would not.
Still, I do admit that it is nice to hear such things from those close to Giuliani. I just hope its not wishful thinking, or cold political calculating on Olson's part.
"this is Olson speaking and not Giuliani." Plus, take a second look at Olson's words: "I think he’d be impressed with her whole life story."
I think?
I trust Olson, but he's clearly just speculating here. Rudy is known to have certain views that are very different from Judge Brown. Perhaps Rudy would nominate her, but until I hear from his mouth that Judge Brown (or Pryor, or Easterbrook, or E Jones, etc.) are first on his short list, I won't be totally comfortable with him on the judiciary.
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"Our job is to bash the president"
Newsweek's Evan Thomas, on the role of the MSM
...I have to imagine that he has a pretty good feel for where Giuliani stands on this all-important issue. Let's not forget that they worked together in the Reagan Justice Department. And one of their jobs was helping to vet judicial nominees.
Moreover, Olson knows full well that JRB is a lightning rod of a name. It's not as if the interviewer asked a generic question about judges. She asked him about the bombshell judge. And Olson didn't miss a beat, according to her.
Does it mean much? Maybe, maybe not. But people are (understandably) worried about what a President Giuliani would do on judges.
And I dare say that I'd have more confidence in him to make the next SCOTUS pick than I'd have in GWB, considering the Miers fiasco and considering how much intense scrutiny Giuliani would have (particularly in a first term) to fly straight on judges.
has already put this one to bed. Assuming he's telling the truth, he said on his radio program that he [Levin] was involved in helping vet candidates, and that Rudy had virtually no such role.
"I dare say that I'd have more confidence in him to make the next SCOTUS pick than I'd have in GWB"
Possibly, but given Miers, is that really saying much? Perhaps Rudy could also have been browbeaten into picking Alito, but perhaps not.
Don't get me wrong, I'd rather have Rudy picking justices than Hillary!, and it is better than if the former SG had said "Hell, no that JRB is crazy!" But given Rudy's admitted pro-choice stance and poor job choosing judges in NYC, an off-the-cuff piece of speculation by someone who is on Rudy's team does not for confidence make.
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"Our job is to bash the president"
Newsweek's Evan Thomas, on the role of the MSM
in saying someone "like" Janice Rogers Brown, when the real thing will be 60 years old in 2009 and unlikely to be nominated anyway, much less confirmed (and I'm not one, though I do like her, who finds her as perfect a pick as some do)
nevertheless, you are right to say it is a reassuring sign. but I still trust Romney or McCain more, and GWB more than any of them.
Just ask the New York Times.