Legal savvy, empathy keep Granholm on Supreme Court short list, experts say

[Faygo Kid]

Washington -- President Barack Obama could reveal his Supreme Court pick as early as this week, and experts say Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm's best shot is if he's looking to add the fresh perspective of a politician who's dealt up-close with the daily struggles of ordinary Americans.

With Michigan struggling, Granholm certainly would fill that criteria. Other pluses would be her gender, age (50) and her unusual mix of legal and political experience. But, if Obama wants to make a splash with the first Hispanic justice, Granholm's out. Ditto if he's looking for someone who's been a judge -- she hasn't been one.

But one expert says that might not be a deciding factor against Granholm, who is on Obama's short list, according to the Associated Press.

"We've gotten in to our head that you have to be a judge -- that just isn't true," said Russell Wheeler, a leading court watcher at the Brookings Institution, who likes Granholm's chances.

"Here is someone who would bring to the court legal skills -- she's litigated, she was the manager of a large law firm called the Attorney General of Michigan -- and she knows how people are really hurting because of the auto industry and a bad economy. I see her not having been a judge a plus, not a minus." . . .

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090517/POLITICS02/905170316/Legal-savvy--empathy-keep-Granholm-on-Supreme-Court-short-list--experts-say

She is the Choice. It would be a brilliant move; no judicial record to pick apart, thoroughly vetted, and in the tradition of Earl Warren, who Obama so deeply admires. I think - and hope - this will happen. She would hold her own and then some with Roberts, Alito, Scalia and Thomas.

[mrcheerful]

1. And as an added bonus it would be a slap in Michigans nit wit republicon enablers

who blame everything on Granholm. I have heard some of these nit wits say crap like "it was Granholm" that caused the big 3 to fail by taxing them to high and supporting the UAW over hard working big 3 auto CEO's, after all making deals at cock tail parties and out on the golf course is hard work. Never mind the nit wits elected a majority of cons to Michigans house and senate who block every move Granholm makes to help the Michigan citizen out. The stupidity of red area's of Michigan are un real.

[The Hope Mobile]

4. I grew up in one of those areas and you couldn't be more right.

Scary hypocritical.

[mrcheerful]

5. Whats even funnier is hearing these nit wits about their tax dollars being spent on social issues

then they brag about how off shoring their profits and other loop holes they find means they don't pay any taxes, WTF? If you don't pay into the system 1) they are not your tax dollars, 2) why does it bother them how the tax dollar is spent when they pay nothing into it?

[The Hope Mobile]

7. So much hypocrisy - so little time. That's just scatching the surface.

I do my best to steer clear of them and the "if you aint Dutch you aint much" mentality. They're offensive and they don't have the slightest clue.

[Joanne98]

2. She needs to make a public statement on Chrysler and GM bondholders

They forced the companies into bankruptcy because they bought credit default swaps that only paid if the companies defaulted. She has been SILENT on this outrageous SCAM!!! She needs to clear that up. BEFORE June 1st!

[Demeter]

3. It's a Nice Dream, But

I cannot see the Senate confirming a Canadian-born woman, regardless of how young she was when she became a US resident and citizen. They haven't been able to do much simpler, more standard things for a decade or more, why expect them to have the vision for this?

And Obama is burning through his political capital so fast, pandering to the banksters, that I doubt he will have much pull in this nomination process to get a non-lawyer, non-judge female on the Court.

I will hope for the best, and plan for the worst.

Odds are, he picks a male Hispanic.


And Michigan gets even less respect than France in DC.

[MasonJar]

6. The worst regret is that Obama may get to replace more than one

Supreme Court justice but they will all be liberal. No telling when Americans can get a court which is not right-leaning again, probably not in my lifetime.