CNN’s Banfield and Fmr. DOJ Lawyer Gush at How ‘Perfect’ Merrick Garland Is

BANFIELD: “I now have a chance to speak with Amy Jeffress. Why? Because she’s a lawyer who once worked at the justice department with Judge Merrick Garland and she knows him personally. Thank you so much for springing in and doing this as such last-minute notice. Amy thank you. I wanted to ask you about the whole Hail Mary notion of this announcement. The nomination process, I’m sure you know as well as anybody else is going to be rocky request if it’s even going to happen. And I’m sure that Merrick Garland knows that, too. With that in mind, qualify for me this moment.”
JEFFRESS: “So I’m a lawyer, not a political expert, but I have to say that from a lawyer’s perspective, he is absolutely an outstanding nominee. And I think that that came through in the ceremony this morning. He is eminently qualified to serve on the court. And I don’t think that anyone would argue with his qualifications. He’s had decades of experience on the D.C. circuit, and before that decades of experience in private practice and at the justice department as a lawyer, which is a great qualification to be able bring to the court. And so if just a wonderful day for those of us who have worked for him and for the legal community and I imagine for the court as well. He has personal relationships with many of the other justices. And I think that will serve him very well when we is on the court.”
BANFIELD: “And a personal relationship with Justice John Roberts, the chief justice which is pretty critical as well. Amy one question for you about something that a lot of people may not know about Judge Merrick, he made partner in a very prestigious firm in D.C. and he gave it up to be a junior prosecutors at the DOJ. I mean, you’re giving up hundreds of thousands of dollars for maybe a few tens of thousands of dollars. And a lot of people pointed that move that he made as something that shows he is absolutely a public servant first. So with that in mind, that should tell you something about this guy’s cachet. Do you think this is a move that the president — if it’s not the Hail Mary or not successful Hail Mary, that it would at least show anybody who is against him is against a guy whose like perfect.”
JEFFRESS: “He really is perfect to the court and you make an excellent point about his going to the U.S. attorney’s office to serve as a line attorney, a line prosecutor. You can imagine that that won him a lot of credibility with the office, and there are many people who knew him at the U.S. attorney’s office in those days who are still very loyal and dedicated to him, and just appreciate how he did give up a partnership to go to that position. But it does show his dedication to public service.”
BANFIELD: “Yes.”
JEFFRESS: “And, of course, I knew him initially at the justice department where I got to see that every day, just the dedication of someone who is such a good lawyer and such an outstanding person as well to work for and to work with on a daily basis.” 
BANFIELD: “And I called him Judge Merrick, and he’s Judge Garland, because I’m still getting used to the two last names together, but he’s no judge Judy. Let’s put it that way. He is Judge Garland. Mary — Amy, thank you. Never mind. I’m Carol — thank you so much Amy Jeffress. I appreciate it.”
JEFFRESS: “Thank you.”