April 12, 2010 9:37 AM

Orrin Hatch Names Hillary Clinton as Possible Supreme Court Nominee

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
In The News

Updated at 3:45 p.m. ET with White House reponse.

Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, one of the top Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Monday morning that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has been mentioned as a possible nominee to the Supreme Court.

"I even heard the name Hillary Clinton today, and that would be an interesting person in the mix," Hatch said on NBC's "Today Show."

The senator said he would not pre-judge whether any potential nominee would be an appropriate candidate to replace retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, but he had general praise for the secretary of state.

"I happen to like Hillary Clinton, I think she's done agood job for the Democrats -- Secretary of State's position," Hatch said, "and I have high respect for her, and think a great deal of her."

Hatch said the confirmation process for President Obama's nominee could go smoothly.

"If the president picks somebody who is clearly qualified, there is no question we can get that person through in a relatively short period of time," he said. "On the other hand, if he picks an activist judge... we ought to do everything in our power to defeat that person."

The short list of potential nominees is said to include Federal Appellate Judge Diane Wood, Solicitor General Elena Kagan and Federal Judge Merrick Garland.

UPDATE: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs put the speculation to rest today, saying, "The president is going to keep [Clinton] as his secretary of state."

More Coverage of John Paul Stevens' Retirement:

Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Retiring
Jan Crawford: Obama Wants No Fight Over Supreme Court Pick
The Fight for Stevens' Spot
Justice Stevens' Legacy: Fiercely Independent
Obama Praises John Paul Stevens, Seeks Nominee With Similar Qualities
Obama on Justice Stevens' Retirement
A Historical Look Back at Stevens
Kagan, Wood, Head List of Likely Court Nominees
Who Will Replace Justice Stevens?
Republicans Prepare for Supreme Court Battle


Add a Comment See all 86 Comments
by phwtb April 15, 2010 12:07 PM EDT
GOD HELP US ALL!
Reply to this comment
by bajajohn1 April 14, 2010 12:39 AM EDT
You see what a partisan jerk Sen. Hatch is as a person? He says that Sec. of State Hillary Clinton has done a great job for the Democrats....what a partisan buffoon. this thin-lipped double-faced Republican bobo...She has done a GREAT JOB for the United States of America.
Reply to this comment
by taryder April 13, 2010 9:26 PM EDT
Yes, I think we all can SEE NOW that HILLARY was and is the one for a number of positions.....totally capable for just about ANY position....... Hate to say I told you so, but things sure would be different now if Hillary was the leader of our country.....perhaps THAT is WHY she did get the HISTORIC VOTES.......We need our country to COME TOGETHER......THAT certainly has not happened and we know the NATION DIVIDED is WORSE than it has EVER BEEN! Hope people LEARN something THIS TIME AROUND!
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by RL_Cudd April 13, 2010 8:34 PM EDT
Hatch - go back to the desert of Utah. Hillary has NO experience as a judge, and YOU want to nominate her for the Supreme Court. You are an embarrassment; has your friend AL took over your brain. Come on, you were a lawyer. Don't you know better.

Are you a MORmon or a MORon?
Reply to this comment
by BoldChapeau April 14, 2010 12:16 AM EDT
You want to talk about lack of experience? Then let's talk about lack of experience. John Roberts was appointed to the Supreme Court with little experience on the bench. Once appointed, this most junior jurist, the one with the very least experience of the 9 judges, was handed the post of Chief Justice!
by bajajohn1 April 14, 2010 12:40 AM EDT
Actually, she is an asset to the Obama Adminsitration and this racist buffoon wants to remove the asset by moving her to the Supreme Court.
by noloyalisti April 13, 2010 12:53 PM EDT
Does the mental midget Oral Hatch want Hillary. I myself want a REAL liberal progressive since we have let the court go so far to the wacko religious, corporate right.
Reply to this comment
by prwagner3 April 13, 2010 11:45 AM EDT
The jackass was Ken Star.
Reply to this comment
by prwagner3 April 13, 2010 11:45 AM EDT
The jackass was Ken Star.
Reply to this comment
by 4merGOPr April 13, 2010 11:36 AM EDT
I think she would be a great justice, and we'd finally have someone on the bench with a set of cajones.
Reply to this comment
by lluon4 April 13, 2010 11:25 AM EDT
Keep Hillary where she is.if pres.Obama wants to prevent supreme court from
making bad decision like 8 years ago,he should nominate Al Gore.
Reply to this comment
by watkinsjr2000 April 13, 2010 11:11 AM EDT
The last time I checked Orrin Hatch wasn't president,so he's no more able to name a Supreme Court nominee than I am!Ignore these remarks, Sen. Hatch is just trying to stir up controversy & energize the right wing nuts that are the GOP base.
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