Hillary Clinton on Nominating Obama to the Supreme Court: ‘Great Idea’

[SecularMotion]

DECORAH, Iowa – Hillary Clinton is sometimes asked what kind of people she would want to put on the Supreme Court – but not who. During a campaign event here in northeast Iowa on Tuesday, one attendee had a nominee in mind: President Obama. Would she name him?

Laughing with apparent delight as the audience cheered, Mrs. Clinton said: “Wow, what a great idea. Nobody has ever suggested that to me. Wow. I love that.”

She then repeated “wow” again, as if giving herself an extra second to think of a good answer, considering that she has been praising Mr. Obama’s agenda and leadership repeatedly on the campaign trail recently.

“He may have a few other things to do, but I tell you, that’s a great idea,” Mrs. Clinton said — not quite committing but certainly not dismissing the notion.

http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2016/01/26/hillary-clinton-on-nominating-obama-to-the-supreme-court-great-idea/

[elias49]

1. "Wow"

"I never thought of that!"

[still_one]

2. republican heads exploding

[safeinOhio]

3. Good for starters, but

I'd love to see Mike Papantonio after that.

[Eric J in MN]

4. Won't happen. We'll need Obama to do Democratic fundraisers.

Bill Clinton has done a lot of Democratic fundraisers, as Hillary Clinton knows.

Hillary Clinton was being nice to the attendee who asked the question, which is fine.

But when Hillary Clinton said Obama "may have a few other things to do" she meant that Obama will be needed for fundraisers.

[MBS]

5. I think that Obama has already said he doesn't want to be on SCOTUS

. . that he wants to be more in the active arena. .
no source, but I remember seeing a video or a quote in an article several months ago

On the one hand, he would be a fantastic justice.
On the other hand, I see him (and want to see him) as an activist, out in the wider world, lending his voice to many issues.
I certainly hope that we will hear much more from him post-presidency.

BTW, although I have very mixed/complicated feelings about Hillary, I do have confidence in one thing: that she would make good choices for SCOTUS.

[Eric J in MN]

6. Obama is a great public speaker who should continue using that talent.

There are liberal judges who aren't good public speakers who are as qualified as Obama to be on the Supreme Court.

[MBS]

7. EXACTLY. n/t

[Vattel]

8. I wouldn't want Obama to be a justice. He has little appreciation for the bill of rights,

and as president he has expanded executive power beyond its constitutional limits. He is too policy-oriented. He sees the law as a tool to be used to achieve policy goals or an obstacle to policy goals that must be overcome. He has no experience on the bench and no constitutional scholarship on his resume, and he has shown too much disrespect for the law to be trusted with its interpretation. We need someone on the bench who will protect the rights of individuals against the government. I don't see Obama in that role.