New Name May Be on Obama's Supreme Court Short List: Sidney Thomas
Amid speculation about which well-known potential U.S. Supreme Court nominees are on President Barack Obama’s short list, an unidentified senior administration official source tells the Associated Press that a new candidate has made the list.
He is Sidney Thomas, a 56-year-old law graduate of the University of Montana who serves on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in its Billings, Mont., chambers.
Attorney Randy Bishop of Billings was a law school classmate of Thomas and says he told him, when he was confirmed on the 9th Circuit bench, that he had the ability to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
“He just laughed it off in a modest way,” recounts Bishop, “and said ‘I’m glad to get on the 9th Circuit right now.’”
Related coverage:
National Review Online: “Three More SCOTUS Names”
Ninth Circuit Blog (Oct. 2008): “8 Case o’ The Week: Ninth Uses Federal Statute for Federal Definition–and Government Objects, Estrada-Espinoza”
