Deval Patrick emerges as a potential U.S. Supreme Court nominee

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/us_politics/2016/02/deval_patrick_emerges_as_a_potential_us_supreme_court_nominee



Former governor would face stiff GOP opposition

Deval Patrick emerges as a potential U.S. Supreme Court nominee
Jack Encarnacao
Monday, February 15, 2016

Former Gov. Deval Patrick’s name has quickly emerged as a potential U.S. Supreme Court nominee after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia, a suggestion hailed by local Democrats while others say it would give a Republican Senate all the ammo it needs to stall the nomination process.

“He has such a strong background in constitutional law, civil rights, civil liberties. He would be an outstanding member of the court, I believe,” said Phillip Johnston, former chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, who, like Patrick, served in an appointed post under President Bill Clinton. “I don’t have any idea whether Deval would want it, but if he did want it, I think those of us who know him well would applaud the nomination very vigorously.”

Scott Ferson, former press secretary for the late U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and an adviser to congressional campaigns, said Patrick may be an appealing nominee because he is accustomed to politically motivated grilling and doesn’t have a long history of judicial decisions that can be picked apart.

“That’s a strength,” Ferson said. “He’s young, he’s a man of substance, so yeah, I think Deval Patrick could be a great candidate.”

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Patrick kept Cape Wind from happening and went to work at Bain Capital after leaving the State House.