(CNN) After serving as a deputy to Ken Starr, Brett Kavanaugh went into private practice. During that time he spoke to CNN on a range of topics including abortion restrictions, judicial nominations and Bush v. Gore.

Abortion restrictions

In June 2000, Kavanaugh talked about a recently decided case that struck down a state ban on a procedure sometimes called partial birth abortion. Justice Anthony Kennedy, even though he had voted before to uphold Roe, was in dissent in this case. Kavanaugh noted how abortion, so many years after two landmark opinions, Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey, still played such a central role at the court.

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Judicial nominations

Later on in the conversation about abortion restrictions, Kavanaugh nodded to the fact that Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, a Ronald Reagan nominee, had sided with the liberals in the case. Further, he suggested that presidents sometimes choose "consensus" candidates instead of more conservative nominees who could raise a fight in Congress.

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