Monday, July 02, 2018

Mike Lee no longer under serious consideration for Supreme Court

Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is no longer under serious consideration to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned. TheDCNF reported Monday that Trump has narrowed the field of potential candidates to two top contenders: Judges Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. A senior administration official told TheDCNF that Lee is on the list of possible nominees, but that other candidates are being given more serious consideration. Other sources connected to the process confirm that the senator is not a frontrunner, and senior GOP Senate aides are extremely skeptical about his viability. TheDCNF learned that former GOP Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina called the president to press for Lee’s nomination in recent days. A spokesman for DeMint declined to comment on the particulars of the phone call. Republican Senate staffers note Lee has taken explicit positions on a range of issues, including Roe v. Wade, that would galvanize liberal opposition and make it practically impossible for moderate, pro-choice Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska to support him. Collins has already shown her cards on the abortion issue. The Maine senator said Sunday that she would not consider a nominee who that was in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. Other Senate aides predicted that a tight confirmation vote could back Lee into the awkward spectacle of voting for his own nomination, which would be optically disastrous for the White House and the GOP...MORE

The future of constitutional interpretation on federalism, limited government, property rights, etc. is to be determined by whether or not something is "optically" acceptable to the GOP? What's not "optically" or any other way acceptable is some mealy-mouthed, middle of the road, milquetoast candidate. The future of our rights for years to come will be influenced by this nominee, and the Republicans better do all they can to get a difference-maker in that position.

UPDATE

As Court Pick, Mike Lee Would Be Tough to Bork

Progressives Deploy Religious Ignorance and Bigotry to Stop Amy Coney Barrett

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