Posted on 02/04/2005 6:06:16 AM PST by NYer
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- In his State of the Union address on Wednesday and during an interview leading up to it, President Bush discussed the kind of judges he will nominate for the Supreme Court, as soon as there is an opening.
Before the speech, President Bush conducted an interview with pro-life syndicated columnist Cal Thomas.
The noted writer asked the president how he will ensure that Supreme Court justices he appoints will respect the rule of law and not disappoint pro-life advocates.
"We will do the very best we can to glean from writings and from, obviously, interviews, the way a person would interpret the Constitution," the president responded.
"We haven't had a Supreme Court pick yet, but my record is pretty clear when it comes to picking judges for the circuit bench," Bush said.
In fact, a pre-election analysis of Bush's judicial picks from leading abortion advocacy group NARAL found that virtually all of them are pro-life.
According to the group, only two of the more than 200 people Bush has nominated to federal judicial positions show any hint of supporting legal abortion.
"So I think people ought to take a look at the appointments I have made and the nominees I've suggested to the Senate," Bush told Thomas. "And there will be a consistency. One, they're very capable of doing the job; and, two, there's a philosophical consistency."
The president expanded on his interview and the issue of judicial nominees during the State of the Union.
"Because courts must always deliver impartial justice, judges have a duty to faithfully interpret the law, not legislate from the bench," the president explained during his national address.
"As president, I have a constitutional responsibility to nominate men and women who understand the role of courts in our democracy and are well qualified to serve on the bench, and I have done so."
Those comments drew praise from Tony Perkins, the president of the Family Research Council.
"President Bush's strong and assertive view on judgeships and the basic purpose of the Senate was clear and without question," Perkins said. "I am pleased in the president's insistence on an 'up or down' vote for each judicial nominee."
President Bush also chided Senate Democrats during the State of the Union speech for filibustering many of his pro-life picks for federal appeals courts.
Bush is the most conservative President since Calvin Coolidge.
The liberal Senator from Mass's panties are probably all in a knot about now.
bump for tomorrow
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