by Clerquette
Bonjour, Groupies! The above-signed blogress has missed her dear readers, though she has it on information and belief that you were well cared-for by A3G AND our new friend, Blair Lawdorf. But enough chit-chat: let's get down to business.
When last we spoke, Clerquette was under the impression that the roster of potential SCOTUS nominees had been reduced to a much-touted "short list," comprised of six -- and possibly eight names. To refresh your collective recollections, the candidates for ascension were Solicitor General Elena Kagan, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, Judge Diane Wood, Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano, Governor Jennifer Granholm, and California Supreme Court Justice and hopeless longshot unlikely nominee Carlos Moreno. Some SCOTUS watchers were betting on Court of Appeals Judge Merrick Garland in place of Moreno, but who are we kidding? Though both are distinguished jurists, they lack the crucial XX factor.
Given the general consensus that the above-cited short list represented the Most Likely to Hold Court at One First Street, Clerquette is puzzled by the recent emergence of dark horses, many of whom have been flying so far below the radar that they might well be mistaken for Canada geese, or fancy kites. With sources as reputable as Nina Totenberg and the ABA Journal tossing names into the Souter replacement waters like judicial chum, Clerquette has to wonder: whither will this folly lead us, Nina & Co.?
Among the names now festooning the list of nominees, like sprinkles on a sundae, are the following:
Christine Arguello - District Judge for the District of Colorado.
Reuben Castillo - District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois.
Nora Demleitner - Dean of Hofstra Law School, and prompter of much puzzled head-scratching.
JoAnn Epps - Dean of Temple Law School and known sports fan.
Annette Gordon-Reed - New York Law School Professor and winner of the extremely sexy Pulitzer Prize.
Caitlin Halligan - former Solicitor General in New York; now partner at Weil, Gothsal, & Manges.
Bernette Johnson - Louisiana Supreme Court Justice and non-friend of lesbian parental rights.
Alan Morrison - Consumer rights advocate (you know, like Ralph Nader!).
Patricia O'Hara - Soon-to-be former Dean of University of Notre Dame Law School.
Johnnie Rawlison - Sassily-named judge on the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
Bryan Stevenson - Death penalty abolitionist.
Patricia Timmons-Goodson - first African-American member of the North Carolina Supreme Court.
Again, Clerquette is not sure what explains the sudden focus on obscure and random lesser known candidates. One guess is that POTUS is attempting to fake left, muddying the waters to detract focus from a single nominee. Another is that someone in or around the White House is gathering names for a fantasy judicial draft. For the record, Clerquette LOVES the idea, and will gladly bring the chips, dip, and crudite when the draft is held, presumably over at BHO's place. Could there be another explanation for the sudden advancement of these names - some of whom belong to people who were unaware that they were in the running at all? If there is, dear readers, and you know what it is: do tell! And, more to the point, do any of them have fantastic hidden qualifications, like General Elena Kagan? Kagan is known, inter alia, for her bold decision to provide "free coffee to caffeine hungry law students," which, in this blogress's humble opinion, is more than enough direct evidence of outstanding E-factor to justify Kagan's nomination to the bench, and perhaps for sainthood.
Please, Groupies: share your thoughts!
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