Hillary Clinton, Supreme Court Nominee? White House Says 'No'

The White House pushed back on speculation that Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton might be in the running to fill retiring Justice John Paul Stevens's seat on the Supreme Court.

White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said that President Obama "thinks Secretary Clinton is doing an excellent job as Secretary of State and wants her to remain in that position."

Earlier, Sen. Orrin Hatch said he's heard Secretary Clinton's name mentioned in connection with the Supreme Court vacancy brought about by the retirement of Justice John Paul Stevens.

Hatch didn't elaborate in an interview Monday. Appearing with Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy on NBC's "Today" show, the Utah Republican said only, "I heard Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's name today and that would be an interesting person in the mix."

Hatch wouldn't say whether he'd support Clinton. But he did say "I like Hillary Rodham Clinton" and said he thinks she's done a good job for Democrats. Leahy, a Vermont Democrat, retorted: "I think she's done a good job for the country, not just for Democrats."

Comments

[Theatrixnyc]

11:37 AM on 04/15/2010

This is what was rumoured by some to be the reason Hillary agreed to drop out, ,when she did so at the time.

[mrjames1]

09:06 AM on 04/14/2010

Next time Hillary. Seriously, next time.

Congratulations to Ms Kagan on her nomination, which was effectively decided 7 months ago.

[party-of-one]

05:20 PM on 04/13/2010

Hillary Clinton? She has a law degree, but failed the DC Bar exam before passing in Arkansas. Her only experience practicing law with the notoriasly shady Rose Law firm in Arkansas, where her mentor was now felon Webster Hubble, and her clients included Monsanto, Walmart, the fnow felon
MacDougals. And her judgment? As a Senator, she voted to give Bush the authority to invade Iraq. As a presidential candidate, she chose a campaign finance chair who is now indicted for fraud, and 57% of the public found her not to be honest or trusthworthy (Gallup, April 2008).

She is not qualified based on experience, judgment or integrity.

Surely Obama saw what happened to Bush and the nomination of Harriet Meyers.

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

02:00 AM on 04/14/2010

and did she only get into law school because she checked a certain box on her application like barry and michelle both did?

obots are such mo.rons...

[party-of-one]

08:55 AM on 04/14/2010

I guess she checked either M or F in gender box, is that what you mean?

[KarateKid]

03:38 PM on 04/13/2010

Squashes??? What did they do, sit or step on her? Learn some English, HP headline writer. Deny is more like it.

[veyry]

02:00 PM on 04/13/2010

HILLARY is the smartest politician in the world and the best world leader ever.She's the only ready to be President, and after serving in 2016 she would be easily SCOTUS! We need her as POTUS, nothing less than that.Hillary 2016!

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

01:36 PM on 04/16/2010

hear - hear!

Hillary will kill president Romney in 16!

[party-of-one]

04:12 PM on 04/19/2010

why the violent metaphor?

[Hysterian68]

01:45 PM on 04/13/2010

Hillary's chances for a Supreme Court nomination were scotched by her husband's ambition and lobbying efforts. Yes, Obama would like to be rid of her, but he's not about to provide her with her life-long dream, or her husband's dream either.

Senator Diane Fienstein would be an excellent choice, but Obama doesn't want the terminator selecting her replacement. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him name a Republican. He seems to have a great fondness for them.

[george511]

09:57 AM on 04/13/2010

This is unprecedented

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/slideshow/photo//100412/480/urn_publicid_ap_org52d493edeb0243ef84cbfc87f58f4b6a/

[george511]

09:49 AM on 04/13/2010

And it's already starting...

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304506904575180331528424238.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_MIDDLENexttoWhatsNewsSecond

[Guitar63]

01:31 PM on 04/13/2010

So what this tells me is that doctors shouldn't be worried about their pay or job security. We need more doctors? DUH

[KIVPossum]

09:06 AM on 04/13/2010

She would be excellent except for her age. We need someone younger who will be on the bench longer.

[party-of-one]

05:23 PM on 04/13/2010

and except for her experience, judgment and integrity.

[KIVPossum]

12:19 AM on 04/14/2010

So Beck would be more to your choosing?

[General Public]

07:41 AM on 04/13/2010

Hillary Clinton would be a better Supreme Court justice than some of the other names that have been floated, of potential Supreme Court nominees who are more centrist than her like Elena Kagan. At least we know where she stands on the issues. She isn't really a progressive but she is less of a centrist than many of the other names being floated.

[george511]

09:51 AM on 04/13/2010

Her Thighness is a crook who has scammed people her whole life. She and billy boy are as corrupt as obama is and she deserves jail time. What a fraud she is, get real dude!

[Guitar63]

01:32 PM on 04/13/2010

Get a life.

[Cal3b G]

05:20 PM on 04/13/2010

**TEA BAGGER ALERT**

[junior111]

12:49 AM on 04/13/2010

Hillary Clinton will more likely wants to become the next president of the United Staes in 2016. Of course, after Obama.

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

01:03 AM on 04/13/2010

more likely she'll beat President Romney in 2016...

[J-Rome]

02:41 AM on 04/13/2010

Only if Obama changes his last name.

[General Public]

07:44 AM on 04/13/2010

Mitt Romney? The guy who flip-flopped on every issue he ever took a stance on, including the RomneyCare that ObamaCare is based on, and who wears the same magic underpants as Glenn Beck? Oh puhleeeze. That guy has about as much chance of becoming president as Ron Paul. Barack Obama will get re-elected, no doubt about it. The Republican'ts have NOTHING!

[Hysterian68]

01:47 PM on 04/13/2010

That isn't going to happen either.

[Bitsko]

12:49 AM on 04/13/2010

I'm suprised HuffP0 ran this one. Half the stuff on this site is rumors.

[Weirdwriter]

01:34 AM on 04/13/2010

"If no news, send rumors" is a fabled bit of advice in American journalism from the Civil War era.

Still holds good for some outlets.

[KIVPossum]

09:05 AM on 04/13/2010

As good as tweets as a source.

[jonjon66]

12:23 AM on 04/13/2010

Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Supreme Court?

NO CHANCE IN HELL, however it was a nice GOP trick to stir up the Dems.

[LuckyGrad68]

12:11 AM on 04/13/2010

Hillary has practically zilch actual legal experience. She and her husband were bestowed token legal jobs in Arkansas in preparation for what was hoped to come and finally did.

It just looks like a Supreme Court justice should have spent their life working with law.

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

01:05 AM on 04/13/2010

hey dummazz - she ran the federal govts legal aid program when she was in her 20s and she was picked one of the nations 100 most influential lawyers before clinton was even elected president.

[Weirdwriter]

01:35 AM on 04/13/2010

Yep. Ms. Clinton has the chops.

[Guitar63]

01:34 PM on 04/13/2010

Gotta love the attempt to start a rumor. The GOP loves that crap.

[ClaudiaL]

12:07 AM on 04/13/2010

The Supreme Court would be boring for this personable, witty & intelligent lady.

Hillary for President in 2016.

[ohnoforgotmyusername]

01:06 AM on 04/13/2010

2012 AND 2016!

[Guitar63]

01:35 PM on 04/13/2010

So that you could find out that she wasn't very different from Obama politically and all your complaints were for naught.