WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama pledged Friday to name a Supreme Court justice who combines “empathy and understanding” with an impeccable legal background to succeed liberal David Souter, whose abrupt retirement announcement set off speculation the next justice could be a woman, a Latino or both.
Obama, who will be making the first high court nomination by a Democrat in 15 years, referred to his plan to have “him or her” on the bench in time for the Supreme Court’s session that begins the first Monday in October.
“I will seek someone who understands that justice isn’t about some abstract legal theory or footnote in a case book. It is also about how our laws affect the daily realities of people’s lives,” the president said in a surprise appearance in the White House Press Room moments after speaking with Souter by telephone.
Obama promised to consult with Republicans and Democrats alike on his choice to replace Souter.
Souter’s retirement after almost two decades of unpredictable decisions gives Obama an early chance to place his stamp on the nine-member high court, possibly by naming a minority — a second black or the court’s first Latino — or a second woman, as well as to affirm, if not strengthen, its support for abortion rights.
As a candidate for the White House, he said he would not use a litmus test for nominees but observed that he thought the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling that gave women the right to end their pregnancies was correctly decided.
Souter, 69, was named to the court in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, a Republican. But on abortion as well as other issues, the New Hampshire native proved himself to be less than the strong conservative the GOP had expected.
Democrats, who control 59 seats in the Senate, will be in a strong position when Obama’s nominee arrives for confirmation proceedings.
While Obama ticked off many criteria, spokesman Robert Gibbs emphasized only one in a later briefing: a broad background in life outside campus classrooms and judges’ chambers.
Nice pension, if you can get it
WASHINGTON — Federal judges can retire on full salary — $213,900 for justices this year — at David Souter’s age and experience level.
Souter said he plans to keep working as a judge. He is eligible to help federal appeals courts across the country, as retired Justice Sandra Day O’Connor has done since her retirement in 2006.
He doesn’t have much need for the money. Apart from his seemingly frugal lifestyle, Souter was worth between $6 million and $30 million, according to his financial disclosure from June 2008.
