Brian Sandoval for SCOTUS?

[Doolsmack_Bud]

Multiple sources state that the White House is vetting Sandoval, (Governor, NV (R)) for SCOTUS.

Dude is pro-gun, pro-Heller, fiscally conservative, socially liberal. Fairly moderate. Thoughts?

[ChadAmberg]

I can see that happening out of spite because that idiot McConnell said no way no how this year. So Obama sends a good candidate just to make the republicans look like they asses they're being. The correct answer would have been "Sure send us a candidate for the court, and we will do our job, have a hearing and a vote."

[Aloha_Shooter]

Is he a textualist? Unless he holds firm to the meaning of legislation (especially the Constitution) when it was passed, he's just one more vote to change the Constitution incrementally by deliberately misunderstanding the language. Frankly, I'd rather go with what McConnell told the WH and press on day one: now is not the time and Obama isn't the president to submit the nomiination. The Senate already did their job by advising the President they don't trust him to make a good pick.

[Captain Trap]

First there is no "good candidate" from Obumer. He would not send a "texualist" or any other Consitutionalist to the SCOTUS and lose the possibility to poisoning the SCOTUS for a generation. No matter how bad he would like to embarrass to Republicans. Sandoval is probably another Kennedy. Was conservative but became very Liberal in his opinions. Hold the line and let the next POTUS choose.

[Zundfolge]

Multiple sources state that the White House is vetting Sandoval, (Governor, NV (R)) for SCOTUS.

Are we absolutely certain they're talking about Nevada Governor Sandoval ... or are they talking about San Francisco Superior Court Judge Gerardo Sandoval?


If it is Gov Sandoval, then either they're tossing his name out there to weaken the resolve of some of the Republicans in the Senate ("see, he considered Sandoval, so maybe he's not going to pick a radical afterall!").
Or like Justice Roberts they have some sort of leverage over him.
Or he's convinced that McConnell is so dumb he wouldn't even give Sandoval a vote (all Mitch has to do is say "well we assumed you'd send us an idiot ... sure, we'll take Sandoval").
Or they have got to Sandoval and he'll drop out of the running after a day of hearings for "personal reasons" thus leaving McConnell in the position where he'll look doubleplus dumb if he doesn't hear the next candidate.

Either way, Obama is 110% pure evil and pure calculating politician. He's not going to risk putting another Scalia on the court. Period. Full Stop.

Here's the deal. If Sandoval is indeed a good guy and he's interested in the job, there's no reason why President Trump, Cruz or Rubio couldn't nominate him next January or February. So no need for McConnell to back down now (for once in his miserable life).

[Singlestack]

Great analysis Zund. Yes, Beeho is a totally evil dishonest schemer - and yes I believe his administration would do any of the things you mentioned, and more. The only smart move is electing to not play his game at all. Beeho knows that getting another Breyer or Roberts on the court (looked great before/during confirmation, but disasters afterward) is a game changer for his idology. The only smart move is to control the process so you get the right nominee.

[Great-Kazoo]

Are we absolutely certain they're talking about Nevada Governor Sandoval ... or are they talking about San Francisco Superior Court Judge Gerardo Sandoval?


If it is Gov Sandoval, then either they're tossing his name out there to weaken the resolve of some of the Republicans in the Senate ("see, he considered Sandoval, so maybe he's not going to pick a radical afterall!").
Or like Justice Roberts they have some sort of leverage over him.
Or he's convinced that McConnell is so dumb he wouldn't even give Sandoval a vote (all Mitch has to do is say "well we assumed you'd send us an idiot ... sure, we'll take Sandoval").
Or they have got to Sandoval and he'll drop out of the running after a day of hearings for "personal reasons" thus leaving McConnell in the position where he'll look doubleplus dumb if he doesn't hear the next candidate.

Either way, Obama is 110% pure evil and pure calculating politician. He's not going to risk putting another Scalia on the court. Period. Full Stop.

Here's the deal. If Sandoval is indeed a good guy and he's interested in the job, there's no reason why President Trump, Cruz or Rubio couldn't nominate him next January or February. So no need for McConnell to back down now (for once in his miserable life).

Why? because none of them have a chance in hell of getting elected. But that's a discussion for the other L&P thread.

[sgtlmj]

It's gotta be a false flag, or they have compromising photos of him getting serviced at the chicken ranch.

[Honey Badger282.8]

Why? because none of them have a chance in hell of getting elected. But that's a discussion for the other L&P thread.

This is where my head is at as well. There is no guarantee that the GOP holds the Senate or that they take the WH. Imagine how much worse of a candidate we would be stuck with if its a Hillary nomination confirmed by a Democrat Senate.

[Great-Kazoo]

c
This is where my head is at as well. There is no guarantee that the GOP holds the Senate or that they take the WH. Imagine how much worse of a candidate we would be stuck with if its a Hillary nomination confirmed by a Democrat Senate.

Yes. the RNC has shot off most of it's toes. Now looks like it will shoot other areas. All in the name of Holding The Line. Fukin idiots. McConnell and his buddies should have been removed from office some time back. To me McConnell is the R version of Reid.

[TFOGGER]

Sandoval has withdrawn his name from consideration...

http://www.theguardian.com/law/2016/feb/25/brian-sandoval-withdraws-supreme-court-nomination


Nevada governor Brian Sandoval said on Thursday he did not want to be considered for the US supreme court (http://www.theguardian.com/law/us-supreme-court) vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, but said the notion was “beyond humbling”.
“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,” the Republican governor said in a statement.

[Honey Badger282.8]

c

Yes. the RNC has shot off most of it's toes. Now looks liek it will shoot other areas. All in the name of Holding The Line. Fukin idiots. McConnell and his buddies should have been removed from office some time back. To me McConnell is the R version of Reid.

Yep. McConnell makes Boehner look like some genius statesman. I think confirming a guy like Sandoval would do a lot to sway the moderate votes this November.

Put a moderate in now.
Win the WH while retaining the Senate.
Propose and confirm a strict Constitutionalist when RBG retires or dies.

[Aloha_Shooter]

You will never be able to put in a strict Constitutionalist to replace RBG. The liberals scream and pout over the prospect of not having an extreme liberal replace her. Having a so-called "moderate" replace Scalia just increases the flow to liberalism -- by the way, what the hell is more moderate than actually abiding by the original intent and text of the legislation as it was passed? Reinterpreting the text to mean what you want it to mean is the least moderate, most extreme judicial action.

[asmo]

Eugene Volokh for SCOTUS 2016

[Honey Badger282.8]

You will never be able to put in a strict Constitutionalist to replace RBG. The liberals scream and pout over the prospect of not having an extreme liberal replace her. Having a so-called "moderate" replace Scalia just increases the flow to liberalism -- by the way, what the hell is more moderate than actually abiding by the original intent and text of the legislation as it was passed? Reinterpreting the text to mean what you want it to mean is the least moderate, most extreme judicial action.

There is zero chance that a Scalia 2.0 is nominated by Obama, Hillary or Bernie. I understand your sentiment but it isn't happening.

A. Confirm the right leaning moderate and deal with the court moving slightly to the left.
B. Don't confirm the moderate and get stuck with a Hillary nominee. Remember, there are 24 Republican seats up for re-election this year as opposed to only 10 Democrat.

At this point it's about mitigating the damage and not swinging for the fences.

[Zundfolge]

I think this is a pretty good analysis of what happened (and it has a happy ending because Obama failed)
www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/26/white-house-scotus-head-fake-fails-sandoval-out/ (http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/26/white-house-scotus-head-fake-fails-sandoval-out/)



White House SCOTUS Head-Fake Fails: Sandoval Out
by Ken Klukowski 26 Feb 2016

WASHINGTON—President Barack Obama’s attempt this week to distract Republican senators from their decision to let the American people decide the future course of the Supreme Court has failed, as the trial balloon he floated on nominating a moderate Republican fell flat.

Although Obama as a senator attempted to deny a vote to a Republican Supreme Court nominee in 2006 (Samuel Alito), he now insists that the Constitution requires senators to vote on his nominees.

Republican senators rejected this argument, saying that the American people need to decide what sort of Supreme Court they want and tell Washington through the ballots they cast for president and Senate in November. As a consequence, the Senate Judiciary Committee will not hold any hearings on any nominee, and the full Senate will not vote on any nomination.

In what many conservative strategists believed was a tactic to bait Republican senators, the White House floated a trial balloon by leaking the name of Brian Sandoval as a potential nominee. Sandoval is the Republican governor of Nevada, and before that was a federal district court judge (which is the trial court, the lowest level of the federal judiciary).

Republicans responded that it makes no difference whom Obama nominates, because the voters in 2014 gave America two years of divided government. Therefore, senators are saying, the American people need to have a thorough conversation on what sort of Supreme Court they want, and tell Washington in November which way to go. Only then will the Senate act.

Nor did Sandoval make sense for either party. He is pro-Obamacare, pro-abortion, pro-same-sex marriage, and pro-amnesty, so conservatives would not support his philosophy. On the other hand, he’s not a doctrinaire liberal, as seen by Hillary Clinton announcing her opposition to Sandoval. So liberals would not support him, either.

Beyond that, many legal experts in Washington do not regard Sandoval as possessing the intellect or capacity to be on the Supreme Court. “This guy is a lightweight,” said Ed Whelan, a former law clerk to Justice Scalia. “He’s not remotely qualified to fill any seat, much less Justice Scalia’s.”

Evidently Sandoval is not interested in what would be a grueling ordeal with very low odds of success. He has publicly announced that he is not interested in being nominated to the Supreme Court.

But strategists in Washington contend that Sandoval was never going to be nominated. Sources tell Breitbart News they are convinced that the White House wanted to engage Republicans in a discussion over qualifications and credentials and seek to peel off a few senators who might push for a vote.

There is no indication that Senate Republicans are wavering in their stance of leaving this matter to the voters, however.

Ken Klukowski is legal editor for Breitbart News. Follow him on Twitter @kenklukowski.

Another similar analysis: www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/02/26/blue-state-blues-obamas-supreme-court-bait-and-switch