linda tripp gives those tapes to paula jones' lawyers and kenneth starr's office. president has to give a deposition in the jones case. >> part of the danger for the president lies in what he said under oath to lawyers for paula jones. mr. clinton denied in his deposition having a sexual relationship with monica lewinsky. >> did the president agree with lewinsky to deny their affair under oath? >> if the president, in fact, encouraged this woman to lie under oath or ask someone else to encourage her, that's a crime. >> it's a different order of magnitude than any of the previous charges that the president had to put up with for seven years. >> what the white house is in for is another legal nightmare. >> hey, ho, clinton's got to go. hey, ho, clinton's got to go. >> this was a howl coming up in the media and from republicans. people were horrified after this. it was overpowering. >> i want you to listen to me. i'm going to say this again. i did not have sexual relations with that woman, miss lewinsky. i never told anybody to lie. not a single time. never. these all

reaction to her providing tapes of her speaking with monica lewinsky the former independent counsel kenneth starr and the pushback she and her family face from the president and his associates. here's a look. >> i know what it's like to be in the crosshairs of the most powerful person in the world. viciously, not because i said something untrue, but because i said something people did not want to hear. and it was about a popular president. to politicians, only size matters and the truth becomes the casualty. i think we are all of the different. whistleblowers believe truth is not disposable, not dispensable.

kavanaugh met kenneth starr during a justice department fellowship and became a key staff member when starr was the independent counsel investigating t investigating the white water and monica lewinsky scandals. he became a white house counsel and top aide to george w. bush and met his wife ashley while working in the white house. they have two daughters. president bush nominated kavanaugh to the federal appeals court in washington, d.c. at his senate confirmationf another mr. >> reporter: he was confirmed made him a better one. in a 2009 law review article, he said that experience convinced him that presidents should not be subjected to lawsuits or criminal investigations while in office, but said congress should change the law to provide that exemption. republican leaders in the senate had told the president that kavanaugh might be harder to get through confirmation because of his extensive paper trail as a judge in the bush administration and working for kenneth starr. resident trump apparentlye trouble. frances? >> we will see. pete, thank you. >>> hopes are high in northern thail

kavanaug met kenneth starr during a justice department fellowship and became a key staff member when starras t independent counsel investigating t investigating the white water and monica lewinsky scandals. he became a white house counsel and top aide to george w. bush and met his wif w ashlele working in the white house. they have two daughters. president bush nominatedva ugh to the federal appeals court in washington, d.c. at his senate confirmation hearin democrats said he was too partisan. >> you could not think of anotheromination given mr. kavanaugh's record more designed to divide us. >> after theha hearing about senator, my mom said to me, thinke really respects you, as only a mom can. >> reporter: he was confirmed 57 a6. he's been judge for 12 years and says w the yearsh bush made him a better one. in a 2009 law retiew e, he said that experience convinced him that presidents n should be subjected to lawsuits or criminal investigations whilen office, but said congress should change the law to emovide that ion. republicanen leaders in thee had told the president that kavanaugh

kenneth starr prosecuted president bill clinton and what that does is it gives the democrats a paper trail and a lot of questions that they can ask him delaying this whole process and the republicans really don't want this to be delayed because in november are midterm elections and control of congress could change hands so that something that will be thinking about catholic church is considered safe likable but according to those who know president trump dull and personality mean so much to this president and then of course there's barrett the social conservative she would be also another controversial pick because she's had a lot of academic writings about abortion the democrats would definitely seize on that a key issue for them and then there's talk that trump is actually considering a fourth candidate one who was the runner up last time around and that is thomas hardiman he's got a few things going for him one of them that trump likes his sort of personal story he was the first in his family to graduate from college once drove a taxi and was recommended by trump sr who happ

he was on kenneth starr's staff. >> supposedly the author of the infamous starr report.e spent five years trying to prosecute a president and trying to get a president impeached. after that was over, wrote an article saying, hey, i changed my mind. turns out presidents should be exempt. >> there is a big record. >> what is so fascinating about this 2009 law review article is just how juvenile it is. when it comes to describing the presidency. because he says he had no idea. >> yeah. >> that the presidency was a really big job. when he was trying to prosecute the president through the impeachment process and kenneth starr, he didn't realize this president had all these issues like national security. >> it has a big aw shucks quality about it. but since then donald trump has shown us presidency isn't a big job. but i think judge kavanaugh will have to be asked about this and whether or not donald trump truly is too busy to be asked questions. in the end, judge kavanaugh may be willing to shield for donald trump. rudy giuliani continues to say these ridiculous things. it is

he worked for kenneth starr investigating a president. and this secondary claim he believes presidents should get some sort of immunity while in office was tailored to the point that congress ought to bestow that immunity if it were to take place. i think they are grasping at straws. this is a very qualified person. to try to paint him as an extremist won't fly. susan collins with a number of quotes today which seemed like she is predisposed to vote for the guy again. the democrats are going to do their song and dance. whether they can keep their team together will be harder. kennedy: it's interesting watching the hysteria build. really only a year and a half into this president's first term, and he's got two supreme court picks. where do we go from here politically. >> i think the democrats are using up some of their capital saying this will lead to the death of millions of americans. they cried wolf. they said net neutrality would kill millions. i think at a certain point the democrats made it clear they are predisposed to anyone crumb

kavanaugh met kenneth starr during a fellowship and became a key staff member when starr was the independentnica lieu ensky scandals. he helped write the final report that cited 11 possible grounds for impeaching president clinton. he met his wife ashley while working in the house under president george w. bush. president bush anymore nated kavanaugh to the appeals court in washington, d.c. at a senate confirmation hearing democrats said he was too partisan. >> you cannot think of another nomination, given mr. kavanaugh's record, more designed to divide us. >> after the hearing about that senator, my mom said to me, i think he really respects you, as only a mom can. >> reporter: he was confirmed 57-36. he's been a judge for 12 years and says the years with bush made him a better one. in a 2009 law review article, he said that experience convinced him that presidents should not be subjected to lawsuits or criminal investigations while in office, but said congress should change the law to provide that exemption. republican leaders in the senate had told the president that kavanaugh might be ha

bush's staff secretary he worked for kenneth starr who prosecuted bill clinton and he eventually joined the republican side in the two thousand election battled bush v gore that was ultimately decided in favor of president george w. bush whom he ultimately came to work for and intriguingly kavanagh has been outspoken about saying that a sitting president cannot be indicted that might just be too tempting for donald trump to resist at a time when he's being pursued by a special counsel himself. john let's look past this because that at some point there is going to be i know many made by donald trump and it is going to be a conservative leaning so what happens next how a both sides of the house gearing up for the the congressional hearings that are going to take place. well in a formal sense what the republicans do is they pair up the nominee with somebody who knows the senate and who can walk him through because it is the u.s. senate that ultimately confirms the nominee and in this case they have named a former senator from arizona republican named john kyl to act as the sherpa to guide

he helped investigate president bill clinton along with independent counsel kenneth starr.. aide to president george w bush. on health care and abortion.. kavanaugh has been criticized for being out of step. last year, he sided with the trump administration to block an abortion for a pregnant immigrant teenager .. noting the government's "permissible interest" in "favoring fetal life."judge raymond kethledge is 51.. and the only evangelical christian of trump's top three nominees. he also once clerked for justice anthony kennedy. the university of michigan law school graduate has co-written a book on leadership, called "lead yourself first." his co-author described him as "authentic, humble and down to earth."randi kaye:"kethledge is a true conservative.. once reportedly upholding a mandatory minimum sentence for a man who pleaded guilty to drug charges, even though congress had reduced the mandatory minimum by the time the man was sentenced."amy coney barrett:"justice kennedy is 80 //edit// this could be a sea change."amy coney barrett, the only female nominee trump seems t

involved in the whitewater investigation into land dealings involving bill clinton, involving kenneth starrscribed in the press release as a brilliant man with impeccable legal credentials. what that press release doesn't mention, a couple of things, the fa ct mention, a couple of things, the fact thatjudge kavanaugh voted last year against a fact thatjudge kavanaugh voted last yearagainsta migrant fact thatjudge kavanaugh voted last year against a migrant teenager in texas getting an abortion. he also criticised liberaljustices for creating what he called a new right foran creating what he called a new right for an unlawful minor in the us government detention to obtain abortions on demand. and, it should be pointed out, that he wrote a laura review article arguing that presidents should be shielded from criminal investigation and civil lawsuits while in office —— law review. that's potentially significant when you bear in mind president trump is under investigation into alleged obstruction of justice investigation into alleged obstruction ofjustice by the special counsel, robert mueller.

kavanaugh worked as an assistant to independent counsel kenneth starr during the president clinton impeachment probe. in 2009, he wrote a law review article, saying presidents should be free from facing criminal prosecutions, adding, an indictment and trial would cripple the federal government. >> are you ready for a fight? >> reporter: at a rally outside the supreme court, democrats slammed the president's choice. >> this is a nominee who wants to pave the path to tyranny. >> reporter: kavanaugh starts meeting with senators today. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell called kavanaugh a superb choice. the senate is expected to vote on kavanaugh's nomination in the fall. anne-marie? >> laura podesta here in new york. thank you, laura. >>> and ahead, first on "cbs this morning," senate mino r,ho to oppose kavanaugh's nomination. >>> well, today is the deadline for the government to reunite young immigrant children t from their parents at the border with their families. the court order covers about 10a number of reasons, the justice department says just more than 50 will get to join their famil

bush and also under kenneth starr, the special prosecutor in the clinton lewinsky scandal. though conservative, the he did not pick based on ideology. >> i did not ask about personal op judge's political views, but whether they can set aside those views tothe law and the constitution require. >> reporter: kavanaugh vowing to be fair. >> i will keep an open mind in every case, and i will always strive to preserve the constitution of the united states and the american rule of law. >> reporter: now the focus shifts to the senate and what promises to be a fiery confirmation battle. >> hey hey, hoho, kavanaugh has to go. >> reporter: senate democrats already waiting at the supreme court to protest the pick. >> his pick must not become the next justice on the supreme court. >> reporter: republicans have virtually no room for error as they look to shape the future of the supreme court. and now kavanaugh starts making the rounds, meeting with senators in their offices, answering questions, trying to secure enough support in the coming weeks for confirmation.n washington. >> thank y

bush and a former aide to kenneth starr he was the special counsel whose investigation led to the impeachment trial of president bill clinton with trump facing a special counsel of his own he may now have a key ally cavanaugh has already spoken out against indicting a sitting president. in the minnesota law review he wrote the indictment and trial of a sitting president moreover would cripple the federal government rendering it unable to function with credibility in either the international or domestic arenas of all the people the most self-serving person he could choose in order to protect himself from this criminal investigation we cannot let this confirmation process go forward with the u.s. senate deciding the nomination and split between fifty one republicans and forty nine democrats every vote will count conservative groups have already launched an ad campaign he wants the best of the best on the supreme court and the president has signaled he's ready for the battle trying to set up a nomination we're room next door to the white house in the eisenhower executive office building a sign t

bush that he worked for kenneth starr who was the special counsel who drove president bill clinton into an impeachment trial going to say he was a lawyer on the side of president bush during that bush v gore case which was brought to the supreme court and ultimately decided in favor of president george w. bush or this is this is not someone that liberals and democrats are going to say is ok with them president trump said that he should be approved with a strong bipartisan vote i can already tell you just from looking at my e-mail there is no way that is going to happen john something interesting that has come out with regards to the judge's background is that he had to he does have a particular stance doesn't he when it comes to the indictment or potential indictment of a sitting president. that's right he took the unusual step of being outspoken against indicting a sitting president he wrote in the minnesota law review the indictment and trial of a sitting president would cripple the federal government rendering it unable to function with credibility in either the international or dome

review, mark wants to know, via twitter, what purpose is reviewing his e-mails, his work under kenneth starr or his work in the white house. there's plenty of information from his time on the appeals court and his rulings. >> i think as all the viewers know, there's a lot of opinions and thoughts that are expressed in e-mails and what you do in prior jobs and when you're putting someone -- giving someone life tenure on the supreme court for the next 35 or 40 years, their entire record is fair game and that's their record whether it's from the bench or the work they did at a law firm. you're trying to get a full and deplete picture of the nominee's views and i think all that work in a professional standpoint is fair game for review. >> jeff peck was former general counsel and staff

he also served as a prosecutor for whitewater independent counsel kenneth starr. ♪ hey, y, ho, ho, kavanaughas got to go r♪ orter: producers and baa makers happened out before the pport. theiggest issue they're focused on is the nomination impact of roe versus wade. it will like two more. i don't know. but i'me h because i'm voters. >> we knew that there would be an tent for him to do just that. we're here because we think we're about to celebrate another kavanaugh like rsuch. >> we will have a closer look at his local ties. you can check out our coverage in the nbcp. >>> today could be the final day of what's been a dangerous rescue mention for that dropped camp. >> a tenth person has been rescued from the department. our bilhoneely, has been on the continues, nine boys are out safe. >> this is the rescue over the weekend to get the boysut of the cave. five hours, he says, is what it took. and the commander has spoke with them. he is confident that the rest that are trapped will escape today. t thrd rescue operation involves 19 divers. they are looking to bri the boys and the coach out of t

bush and he was also an aide to kenneth starr who prosecuted bill clinton when he was president so those would seem to be good credentials from a conservative perspective however there are a couple of disadvantages there donald trump doesn't like the bushes in particular and he doesn't really particularly like special councils right now as he's being pursued by robert mueller and his team so it's really unclear at this stage as are the two people that we think are likely to be the two finalists there but we really don't know trump might have deliberately thrown those names out there early today just to throw people off the scent amy coney barrett is a favorite among social conservatives which he had less than a year on the bench so the sense of mystery is preserved and we should find out in a few hours ok so then what about the battle shaping up after that what he now about efforts to try and block trump's nominee. this is likely to be a massive battle possibly the biggest supreme court battle we have seen so far and one reason we know that is that there is already a rally planned on the

bush and then you know as somebody who worked for kenneth starr who prosecuted president clinton led to his impeachment trial this is a guy with a long paper record the democrats are going to be able to poor through and ask multiple questions they want to drag this thing out until the november midterm elections when they hope they will have charge of the senate and then they could absolutely turn this thing around entirely as you say cavanaugh was longer than most of these justices and the reason they're so short is that they don't want to say anything that would prejudice people either way but you notice he was very careful just to talk about his family about his judicial philosophy saying things like i will rule on the log be independent i believe in a separation of powers that protects individual liberty anyone on to say i will keep an open mind in every case so not a lot there that was controversial that we can expect people to really target but this is a controversial candidate there is already a protest going on on the steps of the supreme court right now with the national abor

experience as an official in the bush white house and as a key lieutenant of independent counsel kenneth starr during the investigation of bill clinton. years later, he questioned the merits of investigating a president, writing, quote, the indictment and trial of a sitting president would cripple the federal government, rendering it unable to function with credibility. democrats are pouncing on that. >> no investigation of a president. is it any wonder that president trump chose kavanaugh? >> he chose the one person that has written that he should have immunity from any investigation. >> judge kavanaugh, if he is a justice, would be the swing vote in deciding whether he can pardon himself. get out of jail free pass. >> all right, jon karl with us live again tonight from the white house. and jon, as you reported right there, brett kavanaugh, an architect of the starr report. that, of course, the investigation into bill clinton when he was impeached. but on the other hand, he also wrote in 2009 that, quote, the indictment and trial of a sitting president would cripple the federal government, re

bush as staff secretary when he was president and he also worked for kenneth starr who prosecuted president bill clinton both of those things are going to create a long paper trail and an opportunity for the democrats to really question him a great length what they would love to do is to delay and block this nomination until the november midterm elections when they would hope to be in control of congress that something the republicans don't want to that will be one of the things they'll consider when looking at kavanagh catholic who is considered safe and likable but according to people who have talked to the president dole and personality matters so much with this president you mentioned that barrett was was a favorite among social conservatives that's absolutely true she has written extensively on abortion in academic writing that's also going to give democrats a lot to talk about that's a very major issue for them she also went to notre dame that makes her the only non ivy league graduate of the group and even though trump himself is an ivy leaguer he apparently likes that but he's also

review, mark wants to know, via twitter, what purpose is reviewing his e-mails, his work under kenneth starr or his work in the white house. there's plenty of information from his time on the appeals court and his rulings. >> i think as all the viewers know, there's a lot of opinions and thoughts that are expressed in e-mails and what you do in prior jobs and when you're putting someone -- giving someone life tenure on the supreme court for the next 35 or 40 years, their entire record is fair game and that's their record whether it's from the bench or the work they did at a law firm. you're trying to get a full and deplete picture of the nominee's views and i think all that work in a professional standpoint is fair game for review. >> jeff peck was former general counsel and staff director for the senate judiciary committee from 1987 to '92. thanks a lot for your time and your insight on the nomination. >> thanks for having me. >>> joining us now is delegate stacy plask, a democrat from the virgin islands. good morning. >> good morning. >> thank you for joining us. so, your committee and the

staff secretary for president bush the president is not fond of the bushes also he worked for kenneth starr the special prosecutor who pursued bill clinton when he was in office and this of course is a president who is not terribly fond of special counsel so there was loser two things that might work against him then there's catholics who is safe likable but according to those who know the president he considers him fairly dull and the president really considers personality important when he makes these choices then there's the social conservative you mentioned barrett she has done a lot of academic writing on abortion what that does is it gives democrats something to target the democrats would very much like to delay this until after the november midterm elections because then they hope to have control of the senate and that and therefore control over this decision so those are the favorites but he's also looking at somebody who he turned down last time around and that is thomas hardy and he was the runner up when neal gorsuch was chosen for the last opening trump reportedly likes his pers

. >> he served as a lawyer for kenneth starr's investigation into bill clinton. raymond.ixth circuit court of appeals. >> he had a decade on that court and for justice kennedy, we could see people who are following their boss in this job. he has articulately on a host of issues, first amendment, second amendment, how to interpret statutes and that is a key thing knowing someone will interpret a statute as written and bring their policy judgment in. i like that he writes in many ways like neil gorsuch where he tries to break it down for the lay reader. he gets into the legal stuff but wants to make sure this is accessible to the american people. heather: what about the last one with a meeting with him? >> the first article 3 federal judge in history of south asian descent and he met with the president, one of the contenders for neil gorsuch's spot, he was only a district court judge which is unusual and it would be interesting to see what he would bring to the supreme court as someone with experience in the trial court. most of these judges had just appellate experience an

bush and he was an aide to kenneth starr the special counsel who investigated president clinton when he was president now those are seemingly good credentials from a conservative perspective but not entirely from trump's perspective and that is because he is not a fan of the bush family and he's not a fan of special counsel is being pursued by one right now those are also the things that would give kavanagh a long paper trail that democrats could target that could allow them to drag out that process and as you heard kimberly say in this story they would love to drag this out until after the november midterm elections when they hope that they would have control of this senate the body that will ultimately decide who this justice is marian wright is and then what do we know about efforts that are underway to block president nominee. well what begins now is probably a battle unlike any we have ever seen for a supreme court nominee there are a couple of reasons for that one of them is that the senate is split fifty one republican forty nine democrat it just takes one vote to shift over t

. >> judge cavanaugh worked with kenneth starr 20 years ago and led the groundwork for the impeachment of resident bill clinton. any word on whether democrats will use that as ammunition against him? >> reporter: absolutely. not just his work with kenneth, he was also a 84 president bush. -- a aide four president bush. >> in washington tonight, thank you. >>> still to come, the fight to save her beloved bowling alley. tonight relate to make sharp >> reporter: last remaining lanes aren't demolished for housing. >>> it is cooler tonight than last night. we will see cooler temperatures over the next couple of days. i will talk about what you can expect for your wednesday. >>> the town is in turmoil tonight after the vice mayor makes anti-gay comments in print. what a huge crowd is demanding of him and his counsel colleagues, coming up. denny♪$5.99 are you out of your mind?♪99! seriously?! hash brow. bacon. sausage. and buttermi.99 are you out of your mind?♪ we're out of our minds. denny's new! super slam. only $5.99! for big savings during our summer sale like select ladies' shorts and to

. >> reporter: he worked as kenneth starr's deputy in the whitewater probably to the 1998 impeachmentll clinton. >> what brett kavanaugh experienced in the whitewater investigation is the downside of these investigations. they are very disruptive to the presidency and orderly operations of government. >> reporter: the man who recruited kavanaugh admits his views evolved about how the special counsel regulations can be applied. >> he suggested congress take a look at this and consider whether to essentially have a postponement or a timeout. a perfectly reasonable position but he is speaking as a thoughtful observer and not as a judge. >> reporter: kavanaugh in 2009 suggested as a policy matter congress your away to provide sitting president with a temporary deferral of civil suits and, prosecutions and investigations. in a january dissent from the bench the 53-year-old said, quote, the independent counsel experiment ended with nearly universal consensus the experiment had been a mistake and justice scalia had been right in 1988 to view the independent counsel system as an unwise and un

reaction to her providing tapes of her speaking with monica lewinsky the former independent counsel kenneth starr and the pushback she and her family face from the president and his associates. here's a look. >> i know what it's like to be in the crosshairs of the most powerful person in the world. viciously, not because i said something untrue, but because i said something people did not want to hear. and it was about a popular president. to politicians, only size matters and the truth becomes the casualty. i think we are all of the different. whistleblowers believe truth is not disposable, not dispensable. integrity and honor means something. to those who see us as betrayers, if we are seen through a lens of negativity, then my question to them is if i'm not a team player, whose team? whose team? -- stevee, my duty talked about duty -- my oath was to the office of the presidency, the institution, not the sitting incumbent. i was true to that oath. i told the truth but i do fault myself for not having the gumption and the courage to do it sooner. i was faced with a culture of corruption, and aga

has announced brett kavanaugh as his new pick for the supreme court in the 1990s he worked with kenneth starrting former president clinton he still requires confirmation in the senate where a tough fight is expected despite trump's party. >>> and president trump has lashed out at nato ahead of the summit between alliance members and brussels later this week trump called on other nations to increase their contributions reiterating previous claims that the u.s. is spending, quote, far more on nato than any other country. on twitter president trump also sought to link nato spending to trade barriers that currently exist between the e.u. and the u. sm u.s. president trump will touch down in london for a three day u.k. event. the president will then meet the queen at windsor castle and follow it up with a trip to scotland trump is set to have a visit which is expected to be the scene of massive protests. joining us is the defense secretary. mr. trump is upsetting nato. president trump is heading to brussels and has been very critical of nato as a starting point does this concern you this ostensibl

he helped investigate president pill bill clinton along with kenneth starr. was kavanaugh who helped lead the investigation into the death of vince foster. a clinton aide. and helped write the starr report to congress which outlined ground for president clinton's impeachment. >> some one who tries to ensure the range of policy views on various subjects in the administration are presented to the president in a fair, even handed way. >> with president trump's administration under investigation for colluding with russia during the campaign. no doubt kavanaugh's writings from 2009 will be getting a closer look. that year he wrote the nation's chief executive should be except from time consuming and distracting lawsuits and investigations. which would ill serve the public interest, especially in times of financial or national security crisis. some have interpreted this as opposition to the indictment of a sitting president. skrch cnn has learned the trump team was aware of the comments during the vetting. on health care and abortion, kavanaugh has made controversi

certainly be before -- that may well be before the court and brett kavanaugh, a prosecutor under kenneth starr and in those days was a big hawk on, you know, judging the president and arguing what's an impeachment offense. as a republican president came in, he became somewhat more sympathetic to the power of the president and written about those issues and the issues -- presidential power is an issue almost always before the supreme court. >> democrats will make it an issue in the confirmation hearings? >> no question. they throw everything but the kitchen sink in the kitchen sink boo this and asking, were you asked specifically anything about the mueller investigation during your interview process? did donald trump talk to you? but really, it's -- where they come from is somewhere between conjecture and speculation and an educated guess and we don't know he will be or whoever this person is will be at the center of something. we don't know what -- >> he or she. >> excuse me. >> good point. nia, all this is taking place as michael cohen, the president's long-time lawyer, fixer, signaling to ch

you as an aid to special counsel kenneth starr during the impeachment trial of president bill clintoncatholic. kavanaugh and his family were at the white house for the president's announcement. it's not the first time has been considered for the supreme court. it was a finalist to replace the late justice and tony and scalia. cavanagh -- kavanaugh explain what he believes of the responsibility being a judge. >> a judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. a judge must interpret statutes as written. and, a judge must interpret the constitution as written. informed by history and tradition and precedent. >> republican told a slim majority in the senate with 51 majorities -- 51 republicans, 47 democrats come into independence. resident trumpeters looking for several democrats to help them -- when the nomination. >> do you think the senate will confirm judge kavanaugh. 66% say yes, 34% say no. we will keep the question up. you can vote on the twitter page. you can comment on our ktvu facebook page. 8:14. let's check on -- let's check in on the commute. >>> goo

he was a special counsel to kenneth starr during the impeachment of bill clinton, he is also a catholic. cavanaugh and his family were at the white house for the presence announcement. this is not the first time that he has been considered for the supreme court. he was a finalist to replace a finalist that died two years ago. he believes that there are three branches of the federal government to help protect rights of all americans.>> for the past 11 years i have touched hundreds of students primarily at harvard law school. i teach at the constitution's separation of powers protecting individual liberties. >> republicans hold a slim majority in the senate, and the independence usually vote with the democrats. president trump is looking for several democrats to help him win the confirmation. >> people quickly reacting, barbara lee tweeted judge brett cavanaugh's nomination is a great threat to the rights that we hold dear. our reproductive freedoms, civil liberties, and the well- being of the american people. the senate must do everything possible to stop this destructive supreme court.>

reporter: but it's the work in the bush administration and as a staffer for independent counsel kenneth starr when he argued president clinton could be impeached for lying that's a paper trail to complicate the confirmation. hardeman in philadelphia. republican leaders believe he could be easier to confirm. >> i have no hesitation in applying a law regardless of what i might think about it. >> reporter: but cnn learned that the president is skeptical that either of them two fire up the base like amy barrett might, on the 7th circuit court of appeals in chicago and the favorite of conservatives for the assumed opposition of abortion. before being named to the federal bench, she acknowledged uncertainty of the makeup of a trump court. >> what would we have in a trump court? who knows? >> reporter: trump allayed the concerns. rounding out the top four is believed to be raymond kethledge. today's announcement 12 days after justice kennedy stunned washington with his retirement. a decision that handed the president a historic opportunity. >> i'm very honored that he chose to do it during my term i

he also worked for independent counsel kenneth starr, investigating president clinton. in 2000, he joined george w. bush's legal team in the florida presidential vote recount, and later worked in the bush white house. president bush named him to the d.c. circuit cou of appeals, where he's served since 2006. >> and now, judge, the podium is yours.rd >> dess: last night, president trump introduced kavanaugh as his choice for the high court. >> my judicial philosophy is straightforward. a judge must be independent and must interpret the law, not make the law. >> desjardins: but kavanaugh also h a long paper trail that could decide the confirmation fight. three republicans to watch: maine's susacollins and alaska's lisa murkowski, who want to safeguard "roe v. wade," the decision that legalized aboron rights. and senator rand paul has also criticized bush-erpolicies championed by kavanaugh. paul tweeted today that he'll meet the nominee with, "an open mind." democrats are mostly united in opposition to kavanaugh. minority leader chuck schumer warned today that he believes t

as one of the staff lawyers in the special prosecutor's office run by kenneth starr in the investigation of bill clinton brett kavanaugh co-wrote the starr report submitted to the house of representatives that made the claim that lying to the american people was grounds for impeachment and also claimed that president clinton's delays in agreeing to testify to a grand jury constituted obstruction of justice. the report co-written by brett kavanaugh said president clinton endeavored to obstruct justice during the grand jury investigation by refusing to testify for seven months and lying to senior white house aides with knowledge that they would relay the president's false claims to the grand jury. but a little over ten years later judge kavanaugh wrote a law review article in which he argued that presidents should not be subject to criminal investigations during their presidency. but he did specify in that article that it would take an act of congress to change the law to specifically prevent a president from being the subject of a civil lawsuit or a criminal investigation and prevent the

he worked in the justice department under the solicitor general at the time, who was kenneth starr.e he became the independent counsel investigating whitewater and the lewinsky scandal. and brett kavanaugh was a senior aide to ken starr during that work. then he went to work in the george w. bush white house. so he's traveled in those republican and legal and political circles. and interestingly, by the way, he said in a law review article a couple of years ago that his experience in the white house persuaded him that a president should not be subject to civil lawsuits, criminal investigations, or criminal prosecutions because of the pressures of the job. now, he went on to say that that would require action by congress to make the president exempt, but it tells you something about how he sees the obligations of the office. >> that's a fascinating tidbit. pete williams, thanks for joining us. >> you bet. >> to talk about who the presidents's about to nominate on the supreme court i'm joined by sherrilyn i your thoughts tonight. >> well, my thoughts tonight is that this is pretty ext

kavanaugh also worked for kenneth starr, the independent counsel who investigated president bill clinton in the 1990's. kavanaugh, like justice neil gorsuch, clerked for anthony kennedy. and like gorsuch before him, kavanaugh is backed by the federalist society and heritage foundation who drew up a list for trump in 2016 of suitable right-wing judges to consider for the supreme court. on monday night, kavanaugh said he was honored to be considered for kennedy's seat. >> tonight it is my honor and privilege to announce that i will nominate judge brett kavanaugh to the united s states supreme court. amy: on monday night, protesters gathered outside the supreme court soon after president trump picked brett kavanaugh. speakers included senator elizabeth warren of massachusetts. >> he is hostile to health care for millions of americans. he is opposed to the consumer financial protection bureau and corporate accountability. he is opposed to the rights of women, workers, and consumers. he is hostile to just about anyone who isn't wealthy and powerful. trumpnks presidents like should be above th

if he did work for kenneth starr with that independent counsel investigation, was a double edge sword just for the reasons that frank pointed out. he was somebody obviously who believes in the ability of an independent counsel to do his or her job so that cuts against the president's constant messaging that the special counsel investigation that's going on into him is some -- is nefarious in some way. also don't forget that kavanagh is the chief author of the starr report, which is filled with all sorts of salacious sexual details about bill clinton which on the one hand trump may be happy to talk about, but on the other hand it brings more attention to his own issues in that era -- in that area. so there are a lot of conflicting things that will come out in a confirmation hearing that the president may like a lot and other things he may not like at all. >> in usa reporting this afternoon? >> what's striking, the roll out of supreme court justice gorsuch was something this white house did really well. for white house staff that has faced a lot of dysfunction and tripped over its own f

jen, as you know, he helped kenneth starr lead the charge of the white water investigation into billbut then years later -- 2009, judge kavanaugh said that he did not think that a sitting president should be able to be investigated because the investigation can be so hon rouse it could get in the way of presidential duties? >> well, again, i think on every issue judge kavanaugh looks at the text statute and look case by case. they raise a new set of issues and facts. judge on the d.c. circuit, he has an extremely long record that folks can look at. he's been a thought leader there and written more than 300 decisions. he would apply the law and the constitution were he to be confirmed in the supreme court on this issue and any others. >> help us lay people who do not have the legal expertise that you both have, justin, understand. does that mean he would support the on going investigation, the robert mueller investigation into president trump or he would not? >> you know, i have given up being -- i never got into the prediction business. what i know is the record of judge kavanaugh an