Obama Wants Supreme Court Nominee With Long-Term Impact: Gibbs

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs stressed on Monday that while the president was not taking age into consideration when choosing his Supreme Court nominee, he was looking for someone who was "going to have a significant impact on the Court for quite some time."

"You have to assume whoever you pick is someone who will have great weight on the court for some time to come," he added.

In the daily press briefing, Gibbs was peppered repeatedly with questions about filling the forthcoming David Souter vacancy. He largely played coy, saying that he was not aware of contact between the White House and any specific candidates.

Gibbs did, however, provide a bit more detail as to how the search, vetting and nomination process would proceed. Before the briefing began, he noted that President Obama had spoken on the phone Monday with two Senators who will play important roles in the confirmation of his choice for the Supreme Court: newly minted Democrat Arlen Specter and former Judiciary Committee chair Orrin Hatch. The topic of conversation centered around "the upcoming [Supreme Court] pick," Gibbs said. Later he stressed that the President's preference was for someone with "a diversity of experience... [and] a diversity in background."

"But again, I think the president is looking for somebody with a record of excellence, with a record of integrity, somebody who understand the rule of law, and somebody who understands how being a judge affects everyday lives."

Later, Gibbs said that the search for a nominee could be similar to picking a vice president. "Obviously the president understands as he said here last week, just how important a decision and nomination like this are."

Asked if they would announce the choice via text message as they did with Vice President Joseph Biden, GIbbs jokingly responded: "Maybe so."

The process by which the Obama Supreme Court nominee will get confirmed by the Senate got a bit shakier with news that Sen. Jeff Sessions would ascend to ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. The Alabama Republican takes over for the far-more-moderate Specter. And because of the arcane rules of the committee, he could play a major role in dragging out the confirmation process.

On Monday, Gibbs said that there was no "specific timeline" as for when an announcement on the pick would be made. "Except to say that this is something the president believes must be done before the court starts its work again in October, which means we are on a fairly tight timeline."

Comments

[naschkatze]

I'm happy to read this. Roberts and Alito will be on the court for years and years, and the last thing Obama should do is appoint someone so old that the chances of dying or having to resign would be too high.

[jeanrenoir]

Expect the usual devastating home run from Obama on this one, Rush.

[BARRISTER]

MICHELLE OBAMA for SCOTUS!!!!

[swo68]

Maybe if their focus was on buying clothes...

[marecek]

With all due respect, Mr. Stein, this fits into the NOT NEWS category. Have you ever heard of a President who would pick a Supreme Court Justice, even if it were only for a few years?

[aFlyoverPerson]

Can extreme youth and judge's gravitas exist in one package?

[Jeremiah Johns]

Ask Chief Justice Roberts.

[naschkatze]

Is 40 or 50 considered extreme youth these days?

[ibsteve2u]

"going to have a significant impact on the Court for quite some time."

That is indeed a critical aspect to weigh. Like all homilies, there is some truth to "the good die young"; trying to do the right thing in the face of adversity takes a toll. But that in turn makes that homily's inverse all too true, too.

Thomas, Scalia, Roberts, and Alito may well celebrate their second century (alongside of Cheney) while still wearing the robes, courtesy of the best medicine the scoundrels who control the Republican Party can buy.

Obama needs to pick someone with the physical ability to withstand both the years and the burden of ensuring the freedom of the American people in what can only be described as "poor" working conditions - given that there is no escape from either the right-wing nitwits or the right-wing ideologues on the court.

[rizvisa1]

I say just to tee off our friends in GOP, Obama should name a black, gay, muslim, immigrant who is married to another person of same gender and they have adopted kids ((feel free to add any other button)

[jubei]

I feel so sorry for AnnfromCA!!

[Raleigh Dave]

If ever there was a reason I voted for Obama, it was because he was going to seat left-winged judges who are progressive and believe in the rights of the citizenry, not big business.

I only hope Thomas and Scalia choke on chicken bones in the next 4 years.

[bobwalters]

Why drag THAT out? Send them some bony chickens every week for the next 24 weeks.!

[QuietNetworker]

Scalia is already a member of the undead.
So send him GARLIC chicken :)

Warmly,

Paulie Sabol

[Hank10303]

I say nominate a Yale Law graduate and let him earn his experience on the bench. Just make sure he or she is pro-choice; that way the rethugs will have to give up on making abortion illegal in their life times

[Budokan]

No, really? And here I was thinking you might want to pick someone good for, oh, I don't know, maybe about a week...

C'mon, Gibbs.

[McFlipFlop]

Love your Kos dino.

[roudy]

The amazing thing to keep in mind is that President Obama may well end up selecting four Supreme Court justices during his eight years. It is inevitable that he will chose at least three, and four is no real stretch.

[NWBrunette]

The other amazing thing to realize is that those four picks are unlikely to shift the court's overall balance.

[AMERIKA]

Scalia could have a hear attack, have you seen that tub of lard?

[AngieMom57]

"...I think the president is looking for somebody with a record of excellence, with a record of integrity, somebody who understand the rule of law, and somebody who understands how being a judge affects everyday lives."

Judge Bea Ann Smith fits the bill as mentioned above.

http://beaannsmith.com/

[jimrs6]

"Gibbs said that the search for a nominee could be similar to picking a vice president.".

Gawd, I hope he doesn't make the same mistake again...

[arspar183]

there was no mistake in picking biden.
he's the vp now if i'm not mistaken.

[ECBA88]

There might have been better choices than Biden, but he seems okay so far.

[EducatedObserver]

Every president dreams of nominating a Supreme Court justice with "long term impact" - a hubristic term if ever there was one.

The United States is fortunate that its high court justices tend to be more considerably more intelligent than the presidents who nominate them, and are unfettered by political considerations, at least in the general.

And this is how it should be.

[NWBrunette]

"Unfettered by political considerations?" Hello. Ever hear of Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito? They came pre-wrapped in political considerations. Sheesh.

[ibsteve2u]

lollll...my, but it was easy to picture the disgusted look on your face when you said "Sheesh.", even though I have never seen you in my life. It must be because I was likely thinking precisely the same thing when I read "unfettered by political considerations...".

It is rather like reading that the Republicans do what they do "for the good of the American people".