Obama to Announce New Solicitor General

President Obama created at least one job ahead of Tuesday’s anticipated State of the Union address. Obama has announced that he’ll nominate Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. of the Justice Department to be the next solicitor general, the post vacated by Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. Verrilli is a deputy counsel to Obama, and previously worked in the Justice Department as an associate deputy attorney general. As a private attorney, Verrilli has argued for limits on the death penalty and has represented the music industry in copyright cases. As solicitor general, Verrilli will be the chief litigator for the U.S. government, and he will most likely argue the legality of health-care legislation. He’ll have to be approved by the Senate.