Ken Duberstein, President Ronald Reagan's last chief of staff and a supporter of Barack Obama's 2008 presidential bid, gives U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Sonya Sotomayor, some unsolicited advice on navigating the dangerous waters of the confirmation process.
- Personal stories are compelling every time.
- Begin your senatorial courtesy calls almost immediately.
- Practice, practice, practice.
- Be prepared for the kitchen sink at the hearings.
- The Constitution stops at the foot of Capitol Hill.
- Tell the truth, always.
- Senators welcome mea culpas in your oral testimony.
- Pause for seven seconds before you answer any question.
- Have an answer for the one question you didn't want to be asked -- because you will undoubtedly be asked that question.
- Senators usually depart when the cameras are turned off, but remember: The microphone will still be on.
- Bonus: "You have the best lobbyist in the world at your disposal... the president of the United States, and a popular one at that. Use the president's influence judiciously -- but use it."
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