Obama moving forward with nominations to replace former Judge Antonin Scalia
JUDGE WOULD BE FIRST INDIAN-AMERICAN NAMED
TO SUPREME COURT
MARIA SUDEKUM
Mar 3 2016
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (AP) — Sri
Srinivasan, a federal appeals judge who was born in India and grew up in
Kansas, would be the first foreign-born justice to serve on the Supreme
Court in more than 50 years.
The 49-year-old
Srinivasan is one of several people being mentioned prominently as a
potential successor to conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died
last month. Replacing Scalia has become a major issue in this year's
presidential race as Republicans insist that the next president, not
President Barack Obama, should choose a successor.
A
judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia
Circuit, Srinivasan would bring to the high court previous experience as
an attorney in private practice, a law clerk to two
Republican-appointed judges and a high-ranking official in the Obama
Justice Department.
He has a "first-rate intellect, an open-minded
approach to the law, a strong work ethic, and an unimpeachable
character," high-ranking Justice Department veterans of Democratic and
Republican administrations said in a letter endorsing him for the
appeals court. He had a 97-0 confirmation vote by the Senate in 2013.
Srinivasan
told the Senate Judiciary Committee then that he has "a deep respect
for the need for strict objectivity and impartiality in the task of
judging," citing both his work for Vice President Al Gore after the 2000
presidential election and his later work in the Justice Department
under Solicitor General Theodore Olson, the lead lawyer for George W.
Bush in the Supreme Court case that decided the 2000 race.
"I
think any objection to Sri would have to be based on notions that he's
either not conservative enough or not liberal enough," said Stephen
McAllister, a law professor at the University of Kansas. "It could not
be intellectual ability, could not be writing ability, it could not be
his general competence in the law."
Srinivasan would be the
court's first Indian-American and its first Hindu, on a bench with five
Catholics and three Jews. The last justice who was born overseas was
Austrian-born Felix Frankfurter, who retired from the court in 1962.
Srinivasan
received his bachelor's degree, law degree and MBA from Stanford
University. He clerked for U.S. Circuit Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson in
Virginia and former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, both
appointed by President Ronald Reagan. He also worked as the top
political deputy in the Solicitor General's office in the Obama
administration.
If nominated
and confirmed, Srinivasan would have to step aside from high court
consideration of two cases he has been involved with on the federal
appeals court. He has been considering challenges to the Obama
administration's plan to address climate change, and "net neutrality"
rules that regulate how the Internet is delivered to consumers.
EDITOR'S
NOTE _ First in a series of profiles of potential nominees to the U.S.
Supreme Court, following the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.
http://news.yahoo.com/judge-first-indian-american-named-supreme-court-135443527.html
OBAMA IS REPORTEDLY VETTING JANE L. KELLY AS A POSSIBLE SUPREME COURT NOMINEE TO REPLACE THE LATE SUPREME COURT JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS
MARCH 2, 2016
Kelly, 51, is a federal appellate judge in Iowa. The FBI has been conducting interviews with Kelly as part of the process to find a new justice, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Obama is expected to choose Scalia’s successor in the next few weeks, but might face a block from congressional Republicans.
The possibility of Kelly’s nomination may make it awkward for Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has vowed to block confirmation of the appointee until after November’s general election. Grassley is the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee and can decide whether to hold confirmation hearings.
Grassley praised Kelly in a speech on the Senate floor in 2013 prior to her being confirmed for her current position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He also urged his colleagues to support his decision.
According to The New York Times, Democrats have said privately that if Obama does select Kelly it may change Grassley’s stance on whether to hold hearings. However, Grassley has said he wouldn’t support nominee hearings even if Obama selects an Iowan.
Kelly told the Times, through an assistant, that she’s not going to give interviews on the subject.
Last week it was thought that Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval could be named the successor to Justice Scalia. However, he said he told the White House he wasn’t interested in the nomination.
Earlier today, I notified the White House that I do not wish to be considered at this time for possible nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States,” Sandoval said in a statement, adding he’s told key Senate leaders the same. “The notion of being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land is beyond humbling and I am incredibly grateful to have been mentioned."
Other potential candidates on the short list include Judges Patricia Millett and Sri Srinvasan, both who are on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/03/obama-reportedly-considering-judge-jane-l-kelly-for-supreme-court-seat.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/white-house-vetting-jane-kelly-judge-supreme-court.html?_r=2
Click for more from The New York Times.
Kelly, 51, is a federal appellate judge in Iowa. The FBI has been conducting interviews with Kelly as part of the process to find a new justice, The New York Times reported Wednesday. Obama is expected to choose Scalia’s successor in the next few weeks, but might face a block from congressional Republicans.
The possibility of Kelly’s nomination may make it awkward for Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has vowed to block confirmation of the appointee until after November’s general election. Grassley is the head of the Senate Judiciary Committee and can decide whether to hold confirmation hearings.
Grassley praised Kelly in a speech on the Senate floor in 2013 prior to her being confirmed for her current position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. He also urged his colleagues to support his decision.
According to The New York Times, Democrats have said privately that if Obama does select Kelly it may change Grassley’s stance on whether to hold hearings. However, Grassley has said he wouldn’t support nominee hearings even if Obama selects an Iowan.
Kelly told the Times, through an assistant, that she’s not going to give interviews on the subject.
Last week it was thought that Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval could be named the successor to Justice Scalia. However, he said he told the White House he wasn’t interested in the nomination.
Earlier today, I notified the White House that I do not wish to be considered at this time for possible nomination to the Supreme Court of the United States,” Sandoval said in a statement, adding he’s told key Senate leaders the same. “The notion of being considered for a seat on the highest court in the land is beyond humbling and I am incredibly grateful to have been mentioned."
Other potential candidates on the short list include Judges Patricia Millett and Sri Srinvasan, both who are on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/03/03/obama-reportedly-considering-judge-jane-l-kelly-for-supreme-court-seat.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/03/us/politics/white-house-vetting-jane-kelly-judge-supreme-court.html?_r=2
Click for more from The New York Times.
Gregg Prescott, M.S. is the founder and editor of 
