Hillary: “I Would Have Nominated An African-American Supreme Court Justice”

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MILWAUKEE—On Saturday, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton told an audience at a community event here in Milwaukee she would have nominated an African American to the Supreme Court and promised to do so if elected.

“Now I’m not being critical of our President, like Senator Sanders has been for all these years, but it’s been far too long since we’ve had an African-American justice on the Supreme Court,” Ms. Clinton told the congregants at the Tabernacle Community Baptist Church, a 94-year-old black and African-American institution.

Ms. Clinton delivered her comments during an hour-long Community Forum on Gun Crime Prevention program held Saturday morning, part of a three-day campaign swing through several Wisconsin cities in advance of the Wisconsin primary on April 5.

The former-Secretary of State emphasized she did not disagree with President Obama on his recent nomination of judge Merrick Garland but strongly believed black and African Americans deserved “your own” justice on the Supreme Court.

“We are all blessed that for over two decades justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has bravely and consistently stood up for issues important to African Americans. But when I’m in office, I will make sure that there’s finally an African-American justice on the high court. It’s about time we get justice Ginsburg some help.”

Ms. Clinton said Mr. Garland had an outstanding record on progressive issues but she was deeply concerned about religious diversity on the Supreme Court.

“I just don’t think the highest court in the land should be treated like it’s a neighborhood in Crown Heights, New York, or Bethesda, Maryland,” she said, referencing two jurisdictions with significant Jewish populations. “We should give that court a little flavor of Harlem or northwest Milwaukee too.”

I just don’t think the highest court in the land should be treated like it’s a neighborhood in Crown Heights, New York, or Bethesda, Maryland.”

If Mr. Garland, chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, is confirmed to the Supreme Court, nearly half, four of nine, associate justices would be adherents of the Jewish faith—which would include current sitting justices Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer, and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Ms. Clinton told the black and African-American Christians she would consider nominating former-U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, which was met with thundering applause.

The Hillary for America campaign also held events in Madison, La Crosse, and Green Bay last week.

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Holleran N. Yellen II reports on dynamics of 2016 presidential election campaigns.

Supreme Court Building Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org