Jeff Roberson/AP Photo
by James Oliphant
A few months back, Rudy Giuliani put together a group of advisors on legal policy, a who’s who of Washington heavy hitters and legal scholars that seemed to guarantee that if Giuliani is elected president, the conservative legal revolution will continue at full steam.
Apparently, there’s plenty of conservative firepower to spare. Mitt Romney has assembled a similar group, one that, at first blush, may represent an even stronger nod to values voters in the party.
Romney’s committee is chaired by Mary Ann Glendon and Douglas Kmeic, two Catholic legal scholars known for their strong anti-abortion stands.
Some other members of the committee include:
Jay Sekulow, the most prominent Supreme Court advocate for the religious right; chief counsel of the American Center for Law and Justice.
Wendy Long, chief counsel of the Judicial Confirmation Network, an advocacy group for conservative federal judicial nominees; former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas.
Bradley Smith, a former chair of the Federal Election Commission known for his opposition to campaign finance reform laws.
Stephen Presser, a law professor at Northwestern University.
Timothy Flanigan, a former high-level lawyer in the Bush White House and now the general counsel for Tyco International. Flanigan was nominated to the number two post at the Justice Department in 2005, but had to withdraw because of concerns over his relationship with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and his role in crafting interrogation policies for suspected terrorists.
Two more former members of that White House legal shop, Bradford Berenson and David Leitch, are also on Romney’s committee, as well as some key former policy makers in the Bush Justice Department such as Michelle Boardman, Jamie Brown, and Kristi Remington.
Romney has pledged to nominate judges in the mold of Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas if elected president. A number of former clerks to both justices are on his committee as well.
