Leonard Leo is the judicial adviser who helped President Donald Trump pick Neil Gorsuch and he is advising him again on potential nominees to the Supreme Court. He has picked two candidates Mitch McConnell finds less desirable. Two of the candidates are concerning.
One of the potential picks referred to illegal immigrants from Mexico as “persons of Hispanic origin who entered the country without inspection and who were seeking work authorization permits.” McConnell likes him.
McConnell has reportedly told the President that two of the nominees would be a tougher sell to conservatives.
Two names on the president’s shortlist to replace Justice Kennedy are Raymond Kethledge and Thomas Hardiman. They have less established conservative records, making it harder to line up support should they be selected.
“I think in regards to Kethledge and Tom Hardiman they are a little less known by conservatives and their records are a little bit lighter so it might take some time,” Leo told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “It’s important to have people who are extremely well known and have distinguished records.”
Leo said, however, that ultimately Trump would succeed at lining up conservative support for anyone he selected.
Leo prefers Brett Kavanagh and Amy Barrett.
MITCH MCCONNELL WANTS THE NOT-SO-CONSERVATIVE PICKS
McConnell is out insisting on the two who could conceivably end up being a Justice Kennedy or a Sandra Day O’Connor.
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McConnell told President Trump this past week that Judges Raymond M. Kethledge and Thomas M. Hardiman presented the fewest obvious obstacles to being confirmed, according to Republican officials briefed on the conversation, the New York Times reported.
via the Times:
While careful not to directly make the case for any would-be justice, Mr. McConnell made clear in multiple phone calls with Mr. Trump and the White House counsel, Donald F. McGahn II, that the lengthy paper trail of another top contender, Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, would pose difficulties for his confirmation.
Mr. McConnell is concerned about the volume of the documents that Judge Kavanaugh has created in his 12 years on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, as well as in his roles as White House staff secretary under President George W. Bush and assistant to Kenneth W. Starr, the independent counsel who investigated President Bill Clinton.
CONSERVATIVES LIKE ANN COULTER ARE VERY CONCERNED
The two jurists McConnell picked have some conservative views on issues like the Second Amendment but they are weak on immigration. That’s a point Ann Coulter has been desperately making on Twitter.
Now, I’m less angry about the nominees than about the people sending names to @realDonaldTrump. How did Hardiman, SUBSIDIZED BY G. SOROS, get on his list? https://t.co/svuyuF9MQA
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 8, 2018
Hardiman help these illegals, among others, get asylum: Ernesto Orellana-Hercules (allegedly from El Salvador) & Mauricio Edgardo Valdiviezo-Galdamez (allegedly Honduras). How about a “WHERE ARE THEY NOW?” piece?
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 8, 2018
It just gets better & better. Judge Hardiman worked for Ayuda … FUNDED BY GEORGE SOROS. https://t.co/svuyuF9MQA
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 8, 2018
We checked out Coulter’s claims and they are all verifiable. On this next tweet, Politico reported:
“I was privileged to study in Mexico and became fluent in Spanish and have always been committed to pro bono work, so I volunteered at Ayuda, in the office, on a regular basis,” Hardiman said, according to Senate transcripts. “And I did everything from fingerprinting and interviewing persons of Hispanic origin who entered the country without inspection and who were seeking work authorization permits.”
Even the NYT isn’t this ridiculous! Judge Hardiman calls illegals, “persons of Hispanic origin who entered the country without inspection.”
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 8, 2018
Kethledge also has pro-open borders policies.
Kethledge also reversed a deportation order of a CRIMINAL ALIEN who had lied about a drug conviction and been convicted of grand theft auto, which Kethledge argued was not an aggravated felony. Van Don Nguyen v. Holder, 571 F.3d 524 https://t.co/dldlRROKSR
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 4, 2018
Hardiman & Kethledge are open borders zealots. Kavanaugh rejected an employer’s demand for “guest workers,” saying “mere economic expediency does not authorize an employer to displace American workers for foreign workers.”
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) July 4, 2018
Lou Dobbs linked to a Breitbart article and he believes Kethledge is not going to support the America First agenda.
National Left Wing Media, Neo-cons and Establishment Lackeys in Full Disinformation Battle Against @realDonaldTrump as They Push Raymond Kethledge’s Inevitability https://t.co/TjBUCimaa5 via @BreitbartNews #MAGA #AmericaFirst #TrumpTrain #Dobbs
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) July 8, 2018
McConnell says he’s worried about getting the 50 votes they need. He says Kethledge and Hardiman present the fewest obstacles — yes, for Democrats.
We have a foolproof way to choose at the Sentinel. Whoever McConnell wants are the two we don’t want.
Maybe the President will end up picking Amy Coney Barrett in the end. That’s who Sean Hannity wants and he allegedly had the President’s ear today or so says Maggie Haberman.
The Right is going to REVOLT soon if the RINOs don’t shape up…
the turtle can take a hike.
People made a bad assumption that McConnell would be helpful. The only break he ever gave Trump was Gorusch. The senate can easily set up a rejection of a Trump nominee into the fall recess, then it won’t happen until at least January.
Orrin Hatch may have given a big clue on Trump’s SCOTUS pick:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/a-top-republican-senator-offered-a-potentially-massive-clue-about-the-identity-of-trumps-supreme-court-pick/ar-AAzGjTf
I second that motion.