Hatch Interested In Supreme Court

"Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orin Hatch (R) "has been spreading the word" that "perhaps it's time his name should be sent to" his committee as the next Supreme Court nominee, the Washingtonian reports. "Hatch has surfaced in the past as a potential Supreme Court nominee. If anything works against him..."

On Political Wire via News Is Free



Well, the Rehnquist Retirement Watch is underway.



A Hatch appointment would be hard to Bork. Part of why Ashcroft got through as AG with relative ease was the ancient tradition of Senate collegiality. It's harder to bash a colleague. Hatch has cross-aisle friendships, most notably with Ted Kennedy. And the dilemma for Judiciary Dems: if by some miracle they actually block Hatch, he's right back as committee chair.



A non-Iowan might not have ever noticed, but anyone else remember Hatch running for President in 2000? Dead last in Iowa - McCain beat him not only not coming to Iowa but actively attacking the Iowa Caucuses (the old Gore '88 strategy). Tangent: Which Democrat is going to be the anti-Iowa Caucus candidate? I'll bet Bob Graham if he gets in (Edwards is already playing here).



Back to Hatch: That would tighten the Senate margin at least temporarily, but UT has a GOP governor and is so weak for Democrats that Clinton actually finished THIRD in 1992. But Jim Matheson could be a player. Maybe Gov. Leavitt could appont SLC Olympic chair Mitt Romney... oh, wait. I forgot.



It gets worse. Four words: Chief Justice Clarence Thomas.