“A possible preview of the type of judges Perry would appoint.”
You might want to also discuss the CONSERVATIVE Supreme Court Justice that Perry engineered the defeat of...just to have him replaced with a moderate.
Absolutely horrible and vindictive...but then again, TOTALLY within character for Perry.
So let’s not get too giddy when it comes to Perry and judges. We’re paying the price here in Texas with Perry stacking the court with these clowns.
Purging of Supreme Court Justice Steve Smith
Perry has made numerous appointments to the Texas courts, the Railroad Commission, and other bodies and commissions during his tenure as governor. One of his first selections was the appointment of Xavier Rodriguez to the Texas Supreme Court. Rodriguez, who called himself a moderate, was quickly unseated in the 2002 Republican primary by conservative Steven Wayne Smith, the attorney in the Hopwood v. Texas suit in 1996, which successfully challenged affirmative action at the University of Texas Law School. Hopwood, however, was overturned in a 2003 decision stemming from the University of Michigan. Steven Smith was elected in the 2002 general election.
Perry objected to Smith’s tenure on the court and refused to meet with the new justice when he attempted to mend fences with the governor. Perry encouraged Judge Paul Green to challenge Smith in the 2004 Republican primary. Perry raised a lot of campaign cash for Green, who defeated Smith in the primary and was then elected without opposition in the 2004 general election. Smith attempted a comeback in the 2006 Republican primary by waging a shoestring challenge to Justice Don Willett, another Perry appointee who was also considered a strong conservative on the court. Smith polled 49.5 percent of the primary vote, but Perry’s man prevailed.
http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/Rick_Perry#Purging_of_Supreme_Court_Justice_Steve_Smith
To much conservatism might see a limit to eminent domain use.
Well, that’s your opinion but I am all too familiar with your opinions on other posts and I tend to discount them.
Texas judges are elected and the judge you mention had two chances to win the seat and didn’t make it.
I like the Texas system and wish it was the U.S. system. Maybe 10 years instead of 6 for the U.S. Supreme court, but we’ve had too many die on the bench.
Perry can nominate to fill vacancies but ultimately the judges are elected.
Of course, various special interests don’t like the judges, but I like business friendly, conservative justices. It’s just part of believing in capitalism and the free enterprise system.
Strange bedfellows. Rodriguez called himself a moderate, although he didn’t particularly rule badly on anything. But in any case, Smith beat him.
In 2004, Smith ran against Green. I presume Green is the “moderate” you meant, but he’s not the one who called himself a moderate. Smith was supported in 2004 by Ron Paul and Kay Baily Hutchinson, while Green was supported by Rick Perry and John Cornyn. Cornyn isn’t solidly conservative, but was more conservative than Hutchinson. I’ll let others try to claim Ron Paul is more conservative than anybody.
Smith apparently lost because he put down Green’s law school, which didn’t sit well with some people who might otherwise support him.
Green, on the other hand, was a former Eagle Scout, which may have been something Perry liked, being an Eagle Scout as well.
Perry didn’t like Smith, but your article doesn’t explain why. In 2005 Smith lost to another conservative.
I can’t find any news references that would suggest Green is a bad justice. If you have something that would indicate why you find him to be a bad judge, would you please provide a link?