First on The CNN Ticker: Obama court pick may come next week
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/05/01/art.scotus0501.gi.jpg caption="The President may name his pick to replace Justice Souter as soon as Tuesday."] WASHINGTON (CNN) - A top aide to Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy told fellow Democrats on Friday to get ready for President Obama's Supreme Court pick to come as early as next week, according to an e-mail obtained by CNN.
"It is possible the President will designate his nominee to the Supreme Court as early as next Tuesday or some time next week," Jeremy Paris, Leahy's chief counsel for nominations, wrote in the e-mail to fellow Democratic aides.
The Judiciary panel will handle the nomination process for whomever Obama picks to replace retiring Justice David Souter, and three senior Obama administration officials confirmed to CNN that the latest thinking at the White House is the president could make the pick as early as next week.
The White House's new point person for managing the process for the eventual nominee, Stephanie Cutter, was also spotted in the West Wing on Friday afternoon meeting with other aides, a sign the administration could be edging closer to announcing the pick.
But the three senior administration officials said flatly the president has not yet settled on his pick, and they noted this weekend would be pivotal in the decision-making process. "He's mulling it over," one top aide said of the final stages of the process.
Top officials say it is unlikely the president will announce the pick at a prime-time event, as then-President Bush did when he nominated John Roberts to be Chief Justice.
The President is spending Memorial Day weekend at Camp David, a remote location conducive to contemplation. Camp David could also be a location for last-minute one-on-one meetings with potential court nominees that can be kept secret because the media has no access to the grounds.
The senior administration officials cautioned it is still possible the Supreme Court announcement could slip into early or mid-June if the President does not make up his mind over the course of the next few days.
Obama is under some pressure, however, to announce the pick before he leaves Washington on June 3 for a foreign trip that will take him to Egypt, France, and Germany because he needs to get the confirmation process started because the Senate takes the month of August off for recess. While Obama aides are hoping to get confirmation hearings started in July, there are many possible delays that could push the hearings into September, which could put confirmation before the first Monday in October in some peril.
Senate Judiciary spokeswoman Erica Chabot acknowledged to CNN "the rumors are flying fast and furious" that next week is possible for an announcement, but stressed that Paris' e-mail is not a sign that the panel knows the timing for sure. "We just don't have an indication of when this is going to happen," said Chabot.
Chabot noted the committee is just getting Senate Democrats ready with talking points and other background material for the inevitable announcement. "The committee will begin the process once that happens," she said of Obama's eventual public announcement.
Sources close to the selection process tell CNN most of the major vetting has been done and the process is pretty far along, farther than the White House may be letting on. All of the dozen or so major candidates under consideration have had at least initial vetting and most of the top-tier candidates - a half dozen or so - have been fully vetted.
The sources close to the process say Obama has been carefully reading the research material provided by the small group of staffers coordinating the search, and has asked a lot of questions and asked for more material in some cases. The sources added Obama has had at least one formal meeting, sitting down this week with federal appeals court judge Diane Wood of Chicago. He also spoke briefly in private with Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, but sources say the meeting was not substantive.
–CNN Supreme Court Producer William Mears and Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger contributed to this report.
Took longer to select a family dog.
Yeah, former Republicans have had such successes with competent Justices like Clerance Thomas. Yeah... Republicans. I can name more jacka@#es your side has named in more recent history. I have faith that an intelligent man such as President Obama will pick an excellent Justice.
So he finally found a gay, black, Asian-Hsipanic, disabled vet, who has voted Democratic the last 5 elections and formerly worked at the ACLU.
Wonder what far left wingnut he will suggest. Obama knows nothing except far left; no common sense.
Lol
Are they from chicago and part of the criminal politician group? Are they a tax cheat? If they are not in one of those 2 catagories, they will never get approved.
I'm sure the person will be useless.
Bobby,
Why can't the people in your pretend appointment group have merit? There are whites, blacks, women, hispanics, Asian Americans, gays, republicans and democrats who merit consideration and appointment. Why do you assume they wouldn't be qualified too?
How can President Obama make an appoinment to the supreme court if he doesn`t even know what it is. During the debates he gave a comment on the supreme court that didn`t even make any sense.
"The sources close to the process say Obama has been carefully reading the research material"
Again, already light-years ahead of Bush.
I wonder which attorney has enough money to buy a seat in the Supreme Court. Mr. Soros will put up the cash for the Obama library to get this pick.
I hope that quota that you are calling meritless includes the 3 whites you mention. I know how whites believe that they are the only ones qualified for anything. Laughable to someone like me who outperformed all of my white peers in graduate school.
The Republicans are going to have a field day with whoever Obama picks.
@ Bobby:
That all sounds great Bobby, but, you seemed to have missed a very important minority.
obama needs to nominate a third generation Eskimo transvestite amputee who speaks Nigerian, and has a Mongolian law degree.
Bill Clnton has my nod
Ok, the guy hasn't even named anyone yet. Relax.
Republicans have NO right to complain about Obama getting a Supreme Court Appointment, or about so- called "liberal activist" Supreme Court justices. Did you know that only two of the Justices on the Supreme Court were appointed by a Democrat? The majority are Republican nominated.
Get over it. Seriously.
Past appointments have given us a Supreme Court that is currently unrepresentative in these areas :
CATHOLIC:5 out of 9
(less than 24% of adults in the US are Catholic acc. to Pew poll)
MALE : 8 of 9(despite a population 50% Female)
WHITE: 8 of 9
Republican:
No Hispanics , Asian Americans, Native Americans,
No known atheists, gays, Hispanics,...and most
Does anyone really doubt the qualifications needed to be barack obamas pick for the supreme court??..when you consider how many different groups have their hands in the presidents pockets after the election..I do't know how far he will be able to go trying to appoint a laid off chrysler worker but you can count on the fact the appointee will have socialist leanings and will in the long run be the most un-qualified person to ever serve on the bench..I can see him appointing someone like his buddy deval patrick the current governor of taxachusetts..will he seize the opportunity to appoint someone who actually has read and understands the constitution???..I doubt it