South Carolina judge is at the center of a political whirlwind around Biden's Supreme Court decision
CNN
Politics is never far removed from the selection of any Supreme Court justice, but the political winds are blowing with unusual ferocity around J. Michelle Childs, a federal judge from South Carolina who is among those on a short list to fill President Joe Biden's first court vacancy.
As the White House accelerates its extensive vetting of about a dozen potential nominees, lawmakers and outside groups have spent considerable time focusing on Childs after she emerged as the preferred choice of Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, one of the President's top allies. That endorsement, which Clyburn has loudly been making for more than a year as he has touted Childs as a rising South Carolina star, has thrust the judge to the middle of a high-profile political vortex, even as other contenders for the vacancy are receiving far less public attention.
Since her name came up as being on Biden's short list, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham hailed Childs as a brilliant choice, saying, "It's fair to say I think Michelle Childs has a really good chance of getting Republican votes." Another Republican from South Carolina, Sen. Tim Scott, repeated that sentiment: "I think she has a strong record and would be a strong candidate." And Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia echoed the praise, calling Childs "a tremendous, tremendous candidate."
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