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Supreme
Court Hot Potatoe
July 21, 2001
by
FDRLincoln
Bush
Considers Quayle for Supreme Court
*** Democratic Underground Exclusive! ***
Washington,
DC - President George W. Bush surprised political observers
today by suggesting in an interview with the Washington Times
newspaper that former Vice President Dan Quayle would make
"a fine Supreme Court justice." With Court justices John Paul
Stevens, William Rehnquist, and Sandra Day O'Connor rumored
to be considering retirement within the next four years, the
president may have an opportunity to shape the ideology of
the sharply-divided court for years to come. In the interview
with the Times, Bush was asked about whom he would consider
for the court.
"I think
Dan Quayle would be an excellent choice," Bush said. "He is
an experienced jurist, has a fine legal mind, and has the
strict constructionist stance on the Constitution that I would
be looking for in a nominee."
When pressed
by the interviewer about Quayle's qualifications, Bush defended
the former Vice President and senator from Indiana. "I've
known Dan Quayle for years, and I think he is one of the most
smartest (sic) men in American politics today. Very, very
loyal." Bush went on to describe negative public perceptions
of Quayle as "unfair" and a product of "liberal median (sic)
bias."
Informed
by reporters of Bush's comments regarding Quayle, Senate Majority
Leader Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) said only, "I have to
question President Bush's judgment about this, as well as
many other issues." His staff promised a more detailed response
tomorrow. Senate Judiciary chairman Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
was unavailable for comment, but Senator John Breaux (D-Louisiana)
promised that Quayle, should he be nominated, would "receive
strong bipartisan consideration." Other Democratic senators,
speaking off the record, predicted a "firestorm" of protest
in the words of one Northeastern senator.
GOP officials
were more sanguine. Minority leader Trent Lott (R-Mississippi)
predicted that Quayle, as a former senator, would be easily
confirmed if nominated. "Dan Quayle is in the mainstream of
American legal thought," said Lott, who further predicted
that "unabashed liberal elitists in the press will attack
him, but the American people will stand by the president's
choice." Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum said that Quayle
"is a brilliant lawyer, and would be a credit to the Court."
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell said that Quayle "would be
the best nominee since Clarence Thomas."
Quayle himself,
when informed of the President's suggestion, said "I would
be most honorede to serv on the Suprem Courte."
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