Well, Bill Clinton confirmed it. New York Governor Mario Cuomo rejected the President’s offer to appoint him to the Supreme Court.

“He is the first man in the history of this country to turn down a position on the Supreme Court, and it’s because he was dedicated to New York,” Clinton said at the Waldorf-Astoria, where he was honored at a gala fund-raiser for Help USA, a homeless services organization started by the current Gov. Cuomo.

Not true. Several people turned George Washington down for the Supreme Court.

But why did he turn it down?

In April 1993, Cuomo released what appeared to be a preemptive letter to Clinton, saying: “I do not know whether you might indeed have nominated me, but because there has been public speculation … I think I owe it to you to make clear now that I do not wish to be considered.”

The seat would have opened up June 14, 1993 when Byron White retired. Cuomo was out of the running two months before.

At that time, his term as New York Governor was set to expire on December 31, 1994. He lost re-election to George Pataki (whom I once met) in 1994.

Imagine Cuomo instead of RBG!