A Conservative Agenda Unleashed on the Federal Courts. President Trump’s imprint on the nation’s appeals courts has been swift and historic. He has named judges with records on a range of issues important to Republicans — and to his re-election.

New York Times ^ | March 14, 2020 | Rebecca R. Ruiz, Robert Gebeloff, Steve Eder and Ben Protess

[karpov]

As a Republican candidate for the Texas Supreme Court, Don R. Willett flaunted his uncompromising conservatism, boasting of endorsements from groups with “pro-life, pro-faith, pro-family” credentials.

“I intend to build such a fiercely conservative record on the court that I will be unconfirmable for any future federal judicial post — and proudly so,” a Republican rival quoted him telling party leaders.

Judge Willett served a dozen years on the Texas bench. But rather than disqualifying him, his record there propelled him to the very job he had deemed beyond reach. President Trump nominated him to a federal appeals court, and Republicans in the Senate narrowly confirmed him on a party-line vote.

As Mr. Trump seeks re-election, his rightward overhaul of the federal judiciary — in particular, the highly influential appeals courts — has been invoked as one of his most enduring accomplishments. While individual nominees have drawn scrutiny, The New York Times conducted a deep examination of all 51 new appellate judges to obtain a collective portrait of the Trump-populated bench.

The review shows that the Trump class of appellate judges, much like the president himself, breaks significantly with the norms set by his Democratic and Republican predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush.

The lifetime appointees — who make up more than a quarter of the entire appellate bench — were more openly engaged in causes important to Republicans, such as opposition to gay marriage and to government funding for abortion.

They more typically held a political post in the federal government and donated money to political candidates and causes. Just four had no discernible political activity in their past, and several were confirmed in spite of an unfavorable rating from the American Bar Association

[wac3rd]

I had the exact same reaction.

I will say it and continue to use the exact same rationale to everyone I see.

99% of Dem women want abortion over all things.

[Mastador1]

Damn that TRUMP! How dare he do what every democrap President has done EVER!

[BookmanTheJanitor]

More authors usually means more than normal bull$hit.

[AFreeBird]

well, it IS the NewYork Slimes.

There ought to be a ‘How many NYT idiots does it take...’ joke in there somewhere.