Obama to Pick Supreme Court Justice by Late May Replacing Pro-Abortion Stevens

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 21, 2010   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Obama to Pick Supreme Court Justice by Late May Replacing Pro-Abortion Stevens

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 21
, 2010

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — President Barack Obama will pick a new Supreme Court justice by late May who would replace retiring pro-abortion Justice John Paul Stevens. A White House official says a nomination will come on or before May 26 — though a nominee will likely be selected sooner.

May 26 is the date when Obama selected pro-abortion Justice Sonia Sotomayor and any new judicial selection will likely be confirmed by August.

A senior Obama administration official who spoke with The Hill said it’s “entirely likely” Obama’s nomination will come “well before then" — meaning an early-mid May nomination could be in the works.

“We’ve got a little more of a running start to the process,” the official said.

The White House is reportedly looking at a similar timeline as Sotomayor, who received a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on July 13, committee approval on July 28 with an August 6 full Senate confirmation vote.

Perhaps giving an indication that Obama will go with a liberal, pro-abortion judge, the White House official told The Hill Obama is "resigned" to the fact that his nominee will be opposed by conservative groups and senators.

“That knowledge is a little liberating,” the official said. “It’s coming anyway. He doesn’t have to worry about that.”

Meanwhile, Obama is meeting with senators today to discuss the Supreme Court vacancy. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are attending the meeting along with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The timeline comes after two polls show Americans don’t want Obama to select another pro-abortion liberal for the Supreme Court.

A new CNN/Opinion Research poll released Tuesday showed 37 percent of adult Americans want Obama to nominate someone with a "moderate" judicial temperament.

Another 36 percent want a new Supreme Court justice with "conservative" political views.

But just 25 percent of Americans say they would prefer a new justice with either somewhat or very liberal tendencies of the kind that produced the Roe v. Wade decision and 52 million abortions.

And a new Rasmussen poll from Monday showed 56 percent of voters say it is fair for a senator to oppose a legally and professionally qualified nominee on the grounds of ideology or judicial philosophy while just 29 percent say otherwise and 15 percent are unsure.

The polls come as Obama is searching for a replacement and he is reportedly looking at a list of about 10 people, with abortion advocates toping the list. Judge Diane Wood and Solicitor General Elena Kagan are two of the top potential abortion advocates Obama may name to replace Stevens.

Voters believe Obama will select another liberal to replace retiring pro-abortion Justice John Paul Stevens — with 45 percent telling Rasmussen the justice nominated by Obama will be too liberal, while 41% say the nominee will be fine. Very few Americans think Obama will nominate a conservative to the high court.

Obama said he would seek a nominee with “an independent mind, a record of excellence and integrity, a fierce dedication to the rule of law and a keen understanding of how the law affects the daily lives of the American people.”

Leading candidates to replace Stevens include pro-abortion Solicitor General Elena Kagan, 49, and federal appellate judges Merrick Garland, 57, in Washington and pro-abortion Diane Wood, 59, in Chicago.

Others who might be considered include two Democratic governors, Jennifer Granholm of Michigan and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, and State Department legal adviser Harold Koh. All three are ardent abortion advocates.

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