Supreme Court

Top Strategist Advises GOP To Prolong SCOTUS Fight To Block Obama Agenda

Brian Beutler | May 10, 2010, 12:00PM

Curt Levey

Liberals have been warning President Obama for weeks that Republicans and conservative activists would fight and seek to delay confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee no matter whom he picked. Turns out they were right.

In an April 22 conference call with RNC members, which was recorded and passed my way by a source, activist Curt Levey, director of the conservative Committee for Justice, offered Republican operatives candid strategic advice, pressing them to put up a fight against even the most moderate of judges, and providing a glimpse of the GOP's playbook for obstructing Obama nominees.

The crux of the GOP's strategy is to use Obama's nominee to wedge vulnerable Democratic senators away from the party, and drag the confirmation fight out until the August congressional recess, to eat up precious time Democrats need to round out their agenda.

Read more »

Supreme Court

Conservative Operative: Everything Depends On Who Obama Nominates

Justin Elliott | April 9, 2010, 11:17AM

Curt Levey

Reacting to the retirement announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens, a conservative operative who was one of the fiercest critics of Sonia Sotomayor tells TPMDC that he believes President Obama is in a weaker position now that he was fresh off the election last summer -- and that he will pick a "moderate" for the court.

Curt Levey, executive director of the Committee for Justice, tells TPMDC: "We'll certainly be involved one way or another. As the loyal opposition I'm sure we'll point out what we see as the weaknesses" of any Obama nominee.

Read more »