aming Obama To Supreme Court After 2016 Win
今年年初民主党总统候选人希拉里.克林顿在爱荷华州拉票时，称有考虑在奥巴马总统任期结束后将他任命到最高法庭当大法官。
希拉里说：“我肯定会考虑任命他到最高法的可能性。你看，他学法出身，聪明绝顶，而且资格阅历都有保证。”
“虽然他可能对退休后的去向有自己的打算，但是我跟你讲，（奥巴马成为最高大法官/首席大法官）绝对是好的不能再好的主意。”
“不过民主党如果不能把国会拿下来的话，实现的难度很高。”希拉里承认。
美国最高法院是美国联邦政府最高级别的法院，有绝对的司法审查权，包括对美国根本法——宪法作出最终解释。由8位最高大法官（Justice of the Supreme Court）和一位首席大法官（Chief Justice of the United States）组成。首席大法官是美国最高司法官员，领导最高法院的事务，总是在各种案件讨论或投票会议中任主席、首先发言并对整个讨论产生重要影响。此外，首席大法官还在美国总统宣誓时担任监誓人。首席大法官的另一项特定职责是可以在总统的弹劾裁决中主持国政。最高法院的成员不由选举产生由总统任命，除非辞职，死亡或者被国会罢免外，任期无限长。目前9位最高法院的成员中，由民主党人任命的已经有四位，如果希拉里可以将奥巴马送入最高法院，民主党将有可能掌控美国最高司法机构。
In response to an email from a supporter in Iowa, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she would consider naming current President Barack Obama to the US Supreme Court if she won the 2016 presidential race, provided she decides to run, while hinting that he might be given a cabinet position if “the legality checks out.”
Molly Warren of Mason City, Iowa emailed Clinton two weeks ago, saying that she was going into law school after being inspired by Clinton’s story. After vowing to vote for Clinton in 2016, which will be the first presidential election she’ll have been eligible to vote in, Warren asked if Clinton would consider placing President Obama on the Supreme Court, noting his legal education and background.
“As for President Obama, I would imagine he’s looking forward to retiring from public life and taking a rest,” Clinton said in part of her response. “I know my husband wanted a short break after his eight years in the White House, before starting the Clinton Global Initiative. As for Barack, though, I would of course consider him for the Supreme Court. I believe he would make a great justice, and he’s certainly qualified for the role. No US President has ever gone to the Supreme Court, nor has any individual ever served in all three branches of our government, so it would be unprecedented. But I agree; he’d definitely make for a great Supreme Court Justice, at a time when we need those seats filled with strong independent minds.”
Clinton went on to say she’d consider Obama for other roles, too. “If President Obama weren’t up for the Supreme Court, I would absolutely love to have him in the cabinet, so long as the legality checks out. I would have to verify any rules that might prohibit him from holding certain offices due to the line of succession, but I think the world of President Obama and would love to see him keep up the good fight for the people of this great nation.”
Clinton would not say whether she was going to run or not, nor would she address Warren’s question about other likely candidates, like Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Chris Christie, Mitt Romney, or Rand Paul. Instead, she kept it vague, in classic Hillary fashion, saying “I haven’t made up my mind yet, but you’ll know soon whose pin you’ll be wearing during the upcoming election [smiley face].”
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton is open to the idea of nominating President Barack Obama for a seat on the Supreme Court, she said Tuesday, responding to a question at an Iowa town hall.
“I will certainly take that under advisement,” she said in Decorah, responding to a man’s recommendation. “I mean, he's brilliant, he can set forth an argument and he was a law professor, so he’s got lots of credentials.”
She acknowledged that there might be a few obstacles in the way, first and foremost whether Obama would want the job after eight years in the White House. “He may have a few other things to do,” she said, “but I’ll tell you, that’s a great idea.”
Another challenge: the process.
“We do have to get a Democratic Senate to get him confirmed,” she said.
Jennifer Epstein
