Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has said it would be "a great idea" to nominate President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court after he leaves office. With the death Saturday of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, will that support turn into a possibility?

Asked at a campaign event in Iowa last month about a post-presidency post for her former boss, Clinton said: "Nobody has ever suggested that to me. Wow. I love that. ... He may have a few other things to do, but I tell you, that’s a great idea." She added: “we need new justices who actually understand the challenges we face,” reported The New York Times. Clinton speculated about whether "some justices made decisions based on 'naïveté.' ”

Clinton was herself the subject of Supreme Court speculation eight years ago. Former adviser David Axelrod confirmed in his memoir that President Obama considered appointing Clinton to the nation's highest court after beating her in the 2008 primary.

Would Obama nominate her during the 2016 campaign and give her a graceful exit from presidential politics? And is there any chance Senate Republicans would confirm her -- if only to get her out of the race?

Though the Republican presidential candidates have issued statements honoring Scalia and suggesting the next president should appoint the next justice, Clinton was silent on the subject until 8:10 p.m. EST, when she tweeted this:

“My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Justice Scalia as they mourn his sudden passing. I did not hold Justice Scalia’s views, but he was a dedicated public servant who brought energy and passion to the bench.

“The Republicans in the Senate and on the campaign trail who are calling for Justice Scalia’s seat to remain vacant dishonor our Constitution. The Senate has a constitutional responsibility here that it cannot abdicate for partisan political reasons.”