Informal Smalltalk...Lands a Supreme Court Gig

When interviewing with the President of the United States about a potential Supreme Court nomination, what does one talk about? Surprisingly mundane stuff, actually. In a word...smalltalk.

Two weeks ago, when potential Supreme Court nominee, Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson III met President Bush, topics included the hardest decision that Wilkinson had ever made, and how much Wilkinson exercised. To the latter question, Wilkinson responded that he ran 3-4 miles daily. In response, Bush encouraged Wilkinson to consider cross-training, or otherwise risk "busting his knees."

Similarly, when Bush sat down with eventual nominee John G. Roberts, he relied as much on chemistry and intuition as on policy and intellect. Roberts' interview happened in the sitting area of the executive residence, with Bush's two Scottish terriers, Barney and Miss Beazley, at their feet. In the end, Bush was attracted to the storyline of Roberts' early years...growing up in Long Beach, Indiana, working summers in the same steel mill where his father was an electrical engineer, serving as high school class president and captain of the football team. After graduating from honors at Harvard, both in undergraduate and law school, Roberts clerked for William H. Rehnquist when he was an associate justice on the Supreme Court. After concluding the hour-long interview, Bush gave Roberts a tour of the White House office and residence.

Interestingly, this interview technique is not unique to Bush. It was also an instinctive way of taking measure favored by Ronald Reagan. When President Reagan met with Sandra Day O'Connor, they bonded in a conversation when they began discussing horses and her upbringing on an Arizona ranch.

Five years ago, when Christie Whitman met with Bush and Cheney regarding her appointment to the Environmental Protection Agency, the ice breaker was the aforementioned Scottish terrier, Barney. In mid-interview , Barney (then a puppy) entered the room and piddled on the rug. The President laughed. Cheney was peeved. Christie Whitman got the job.

Comments

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