Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Advice for Obama   [Robert Alt]

In light of Obama’s appointment of the liberal Judge David Hamilton to the Seventh Circuit, Quin Hillyer’s article in today’s DC Examiner is particularly timely, and worth a read. The article features advice offered to Obama by Clinton administration acting solicitor general Walter Dellinger, National Journal columnist Stuart Taylor, and Bench Memos' own Jonathan Adler at an event hosted by The Heritage Foundation. Despite their different political and jurisprudential philosophies, Quin notes that all three panelists agreed that Obama should follow President Bush’s lead by renominating several of his predecessors blocked judicial nominees, and they likewise agreed that D.C. Circuit nominee Peter Keisler would be a good choice. There are more details, including Dellinger’s take on how the judicial issue cuts politically, so you should read the whole thing. Of course, the question is whether Obama will entertain any of this advice, or whether we will see in President Obama an executive version of the liberal and doctrinaire Senator Obama, who voted for judicial filibusters and against Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Alito. 

03/18 09:11 AMShare