that's my prediction atleast...and she fits the bill!
This prediction is all based on some of the statements given by him or his spokespeople and based on some of the conversations he has reportedly had with senators. Sen. Olympia Snow of Maine urges him to pick a woman. Sen. Arlen Spector urges him to look "outside the federal appeals courts." An Obama spokesperson had this to say about his possible choice:
"he would seek a nominee with 'a record of excellence and integrity...who understands that justice isn't about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book" and "someone attuned to the 'daily realities of people's lives'
. The president himself said he wanted someone whou would have "empathy." This clearly leads to a politician. Gov. Christine Gregoire, who by the way, endorsed Barack Obama in 2008, comes to mind.
She has a long history as a litigator for the State of Washington working as an Assistant Attorney General and then Deputy Attorney General. She was appointed Director of the Department of Ecology for 4 years before her first election as WA Attorney General.
She has PROGRESSIVE credentials but is within the establishment. She has argued and won cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. As attorney general she played a very prominent role in the tobacco litigation 10 years ago. She has a GREAT environmental record stemming from her years as Director of Ecology and clean-up enforcement actions as attorney general. As governor, she has expanded domestic partnership laws for gays & lesbians...pledging to sign (or already signed) the state's recently passed "Everything But Marriage Law."
GREGOIRE'S CAREER SUMMARY
Education:
BA - University of Washington
JD - Gonzaga University
1977-1988 - Asst Atty General & Deputy Atty General
1988-1992 - Director of Department of Ecology
1993-2005 - Attorney General
2005-present - Governor of WA
Here is a link to her Wikipedia entry :http://en.wikipedia.org/...
Her name has been floated around several times...most notably by a NY Times article : NY Times float Gov. Gregoire and others and the Huffington Post. The NY Times article pointed out something very interesting:
During the campaign, Mr. Obama spoke of his admiration of former Chief Justice Earl M. Warren, citing as a special virtue his practical political experience as a former governor of California.
This doesn't sound like it is going to be a career judge or academic.