Supreme Court Speculation Heightens As Brian Sandoval Buzz Grows

The speculation about President Obama’s Supreme Court is heating up. This week, Governor Brian Sandoval is in the spotlight.

Two people with knowledge of the process said that Brian Sandoval is one on the list of potential nominees for the Supreme Court. Sandoval is the Republican governor of Nevada.

Sandoval told reporters that he was honored to be considered. But, he had no confirmation from the president that he was on the list.

The White House spokesman also declined to confirm whether Sandoval made the cut. However, Harry Reid said he thinks the president will offer a name in approximately three weeks.

Sandoval was the first Latino to win election to a state office in the state of Nevada. He won the popular vote for attorney general back in 2002. Sandoval was then appointed as a federal judge by President Bush in 2005. His appointment was unanimously confirmed by the Senate vote. He served on the bench for four years.

He stepped down in 2009 to run for governor of the state of Nevada. He ousted his opponent, a fellow Republican and the incumbent Governor Jim Gibbons during the primary stage. He has served as governor since 2010. Sandoval remains one of the most popular Republican governors in the United States.

As governor, he slashed his state’s budget by half a billion dollars in one year by consolidating 20 state agencies. He has also tried to help shrink his state’s unemployment rate by repealing 654 regulations that were either outdated or overlapping. Essentially, he tried to remove the red tape holding back the state’s economy.

Sandoval’s stance is that of a traditional Republican. He’s fiscally conservative and supports gun rights. However, he has a moderate view on social issues. He abandoned Nevada’s attempt to ban same-sex marriage before the Supreme Court ruling.

He also has a moderate view of abortion rights and considers himself pro-choice. He outlined his reasoning to the Daily Beast saying “I respect a woman’s ability to make that decision for herself.”

This makes him a reasonable choice for a Democratic president for a Supreme Court nominationa and a tantalizing option for Republicans. Still, it is unclear whether he will be Obama’s nominee.

The GOP insists that it would not matter if Obama nominated a Republican or a Democrat. Mitch McConnell, the Senate Majority Leaders, insists that the Senate will take no action on any Supreme Court nominee, regardless of the candidate.

GOP leadership continues to maintain that the seat should be filled by the winner of the November election.

Still, Obama has pressed on with his search for a Supreme Court nomination.

On Wednesday, the president penned a post for Supreme Court’s blog, outlining how he intends to make his decision. The president intends to search for a highly qualified candidate for the Supreme Court with an “independent mind, rigorous intellect, impeccable credentials, and a record of excellence and integrity.”

Moreover, he is looking for someone whose aim is to interpret the law rather than making the law.

Obama is confident that the Republicans will have a difficult time explaining and maintaining their position on the issue. The president commented on recent Republican remarks saying that “they’re pretty sheepish about it.”

Thus, the nomination is equal parts personality and timing.

Public support for the Supreme Court candidate combined with the pressure to win November’s congressional elections could force the GOP’s hand. Independent voters crucial for a GOP victory later this fall are currently split over the decision to fill the vacancy. The White House is relying on the moderate base to encourage the GOP to lay down its weapons and fulfil its constitutional duty.

By offering a nominee that is dangerous to turn down at a time when the Republican party faces turmoil, the president can make his nomination one of his final acts as president.

[Photo by Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images]