Wednesday, May 13, 2009

McCaskill Tapped to Help Obama on SCOTUS Pick

Sen. Claire McCaskill is one of three Senate Democrats who have been tapped by President Obama to help advise him on his pick for the U.S Supreme Court.

Roll Call reports that the president has asked McCaskill and Sens. Dick Durbin and Chuck Schumer to help him vet and gauge Senate support for prospective nominees.

Supreme Court Justice David Souter has announced he's retiring at the end of the term, and the president said he'd like a new justice in place by the fall.

From Roll Call: "Obama has used McCaskill, in particular, as a window into how his pick might be viewed by Democratic centrists and female Senators, one Democratic aide said. Another Senate Democratic aide said Obama will likely count on McCaskill, Schumer and Durbin to act as the chief defenders of his nominee when the candidate comes under attack."

Neither Schumer nor McCaskill would answer questions related to the Supreme Court nomination on Tuesday.

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