Openly Gay Supreme Court Justice?

I could see this easily happening and in Obama's second term. What say you? He seems to want to make history, and Dems have the majority in the Senate, thus 99.9% of nominations he will make will be confirmed.

• But, who would it be? It's not enough to find any openly gay judge. He or she would have to be very experienced, probably a current or former federal judge and/or elite academic. So, who are legit candidates?

• Well, Elena Kagan could just go ahead and come out already.

• Are you talking about Roberts coming out of the closet?

• Which justices are planning to retire?

• I think an Asian will be named before a gay.

• I think he'd like to skew it towards having a female majority.

• I think a black female justice is more likely. It's time for a second black justice (if you can even consider Clarence Thomas black) and a female one represents a big demographic that's not represented: black women.

• I want him to completely destroy the Republican Party by naming William Jefferson Clinton.

• [quote]Which justices are planning to retire? Doesn't Ginsburg have health issues? No Republican nominee will retire unless forced by severe illness or death. It would be really great if Scalia would drop dead during Obama's second term. Thomas too, but with Scalia there's a much more realistic chance.

• Just encourage Kagan and Roberts to come out - then we'll have two!

• Scalia will stick it through. He won't go unless he carried out in a body bag.

• He's got the gays locked up. Look for another Latino or an Asian appellate judge.

• Wasn't Clinton disbarred?

• [quote]Doesn't Ginsburg have health issues? Yeah Ruth Ginsburg is the one that everyone basically knows is going to retire during Obama's next term. Outside of that it remains to be seen.

• the court room will have pink swag curtains

• how about the judge who overturned Prop 8? He's openly gay and seems really smart.

• Brilliant, R7. Just the mere mention of Clinton's name would send them into paroxysms of incomparable rage such as hardly have ever been seen. I would love it!

• [quote]Just encourage Kagan and Roberts to come out - then we'll have two! What about Ginsburg? I thought I had heard rumors about her. I was laughing when everyone was saying Tammy Baldwin was our first lesbian senator. I almost shouted, "Aren't you forgetting Barbara Mikulski?" Then I realized they meant OPENLY lesbian senator, and Babs is so terrified of leaving the closet she almost becomes physically ill whenever the subject is raised.

• OK, ordering up one young, gay Asian female!

• He should appoint Hillary.

• It's a nice thought. Every Republican save maybe Lisa Murkowski would vote against him/her, and I could see problems with conservative Dems like Pryor and Manchin too. Hillary is far too old BTW. Bush appointed Thomas when he was like 42-43, and he could be around for another couple of decades.

• it could actually be Hillary's swan song. She wants out of the State Department and has publicly said so. I can't see her running in 2016, unless Obama's second term is so amazing that our country cannot fathom re-electing a democrat. So yes, maybe Hillary can be one of the Supremes. Like Cindy Birdsong

• There has to be one person in this vast country that most groups can agree on. Put out a search for a mixed black/asain lesbian dwarf law professor in a wheelchair. That will cover all the bases.

• I would love to see it be Kamala Harris.

• [quote]I can't see her running in 2016, unless Obama's second term is so amazing that our country cannot fathom re-electing a democrat. Oh, dear.

• I'll be thrilled with a young (Hillary, Bill, the Prop 8 guy, etc. are all WAY too old), thoughtful progressive of any color, gender or sexuality. Two would be even better.

• Clinton should have gone with Amalya Kearse instead of Janet Reno. He also should have nominated her when a spot opened on the Supereme Court.

• Gay Judge: Why not Vaughn R. Walker from the CA Prop 8 trial?

• Walker

  http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/.a/6a00d8341c630a53ef0168e6ea6928970c-640wi

• I would like a smart, progressive person on the Supreme Court. I don't care if he or she is gay, Asian, African-American, female, etc. A smart, progressive person will uphold the rights of all those groups, which is far more important to me than just having some token presence on the Court. (My impression was that Vaughn Walker had retired.)

• [quote]No Republican nominee will retire unless forced by severe illness or death. Severe illness won't do. Remember Rhenquist.

• Still hoping Roberts comes out.