Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> Lawbeat

Legal News

: Lawbeat

Mauro to Obama judge-screeners: be patient

By Mark Obbie

Tony Mauro shows what a curious mind and a telephone can do to inject some contrary facts into a speculative discussion. The topic is President-elect Obama's Supreme Court nominations, and whether the three oldest liberals might take Obama's election as their cue to exit soon. Pundits have convinced themselves this is so. Mauro one-upped them by doing some reporting: speaking to former law clerks and reading a speech transcript for clear clues that Ruth Ginsburg plans to stick around at least eight more years; picking up hints from "some" David Souter friends that he isn't anxious to leave; and learning from "one longtime friend" that John Stevens may indeed be eying the door. True, the sourcing is anonymous and the information tentative. But, when combined with expert historical analysis -- and when it rings true to another savvy Court reporter, Jan Greenburg -- the story serves a useful purpose: as a wait-a-minute caution to the analysts who seem only to analyze imaginary scenarios.

Full post as published by Lawbeat on November 11, 2008 (boomark / email).