U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on the Supreme Court vacancy battle and his new book, ‘United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common’
Senator Cory Booker joined Yahoo News and Finance Anchor Bianna Golodryga on “Yahoo News Live.” Booker discussed the Supreme Court appointment battle in the wake of Justice Antonin Scalia’s death, his support for Hillary Clinton and the power of taking a selfie. Booker also talk about his new book, “United: Thoughts on Finding Common Ground and Advancing the Common Good.”
Booker said the battle to replace Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court is “unfortunate and a little ironic that you have an originalist Supreme Court Justice” because “if you read the Constitution, Article II, Section 2, it says the president ‘shall nominate,’ not might, not depending on what the political winds are.” Booker continued, “The president has got to put somebody up.”
On his name being floated as a potential Obama appointment to the Supreme Court, Booker said: “It’s reporter swirl and hypotheticals and I have to just focus on my job.” He continued, “It’s nice to hear your name bandied about, I’ll confess that, but at the end of the day, I have a feeling that I’ve got another four years working hard for New Jersey.”
Golodryga also asked Booker, who has endorsed Hillary Clinton for president, about potentially being her running mate. He said: “I think that that’s way too far ahead. She’s obviously in a tough primary. She told me from the beginning, ‘Cory, this is going to be a really tough fight. You don’t get [crowned as] president, you have to earn it.’ So, she’s in the trenches right now, I don’t think she’s thinking about the vice presidency.” Booker said they have not spoken about putting him on the ticket.
Of Clinton’s performance so far in Iowa and New Hampshire, Booker said, “If you look at Iowa, look at New Hampshire, people often win those states and don’t always go on to win the presidency.”
On Clinton’s character and her candidacy, Booker said, “I haven’t seen a candidate like this who, her whole history has been fighting obstacles, challenges and vicious attacks.” He continued, “She’s not done. She seems to find a way to rise to levels of service and contribution. That kind of grit and that kind of story of overcoming obstacles and still serving, sacrificing when it would be so much easier and lucrative, more comforting for her to retire from public life right now, but she’s still in the game.”
Comparing Donald Trump’s rise in politics to Booker’s rise in Newark, N.J. politics following his graduation from Yale Law School, Booker quipped: “My haircut is much better than his haircut.”
Booker also discussed the fight for the black vote going into the South Carolina primary and the debate in the African-American community over backing Clinton or Bernie Sanders on the Democratic side. Booker said: “The beauty of the black community is that we’re not [monolithic].”
In his new book, his first, Booker describes rising in Newark politics before being elected senator of New Jersey. As to what is more dysfunctional, the streets of Newark or the halls of Congress, Booker chose Congress. He said, “That’s easy, because the streets of Newark have in a short period of time, if you take the last decade, we’ve reversed the most difficult trends in our city’s history.” Booker continued, “Brick City is this tough, strong city and I’m proud of it. Congress, on the other hand,” Booker said, “there’s a lot of hope.” ��
On working with Republicans in Congress, something Booker has done on a number of pieces of legislation, Booker said, “I respect them and honor their service even though I may disagree with them. I honor them for their commitment to this country even though I think at times they’ve done harm to this country, but I know that they are patriots because … they believe they’re doing what’s best.”
Booker is also on a mission to take a selfie with every single one of his Senate colleagues. Booker said he hasn’t succeeded yet, but still has many he hasn’t yet published. Booker sees an enormous benefit to using technology for the common good. He said: “Technology, as I found out when I was mayor, you can have someone lonely, disabled, whatever our background and you can [still have human] connection.”
