I'm hopeful that Bush won't nominate Gonzalez. Can you imagine what his hearing would be like, with all kinds of questions about Gitmo, Abu Ghraib, enemy combatants, etc.. It would be a circus. Hopefully, Bush is aware of that.
He also showed himself to be unfriendly to property rights as an Associate Justice on the TX Supreme Ct.
MICHAEL McCONNELL:
A respected conservative legal scholar, McConnell, a judge on the Denver-based 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, enjoys bipartisan support in the academic community. He opposed President Clinton's impeachment and the Supreme Court's 2000 ruling in Bush v. Gore that made George W. Bush the president.
Liberal interest groups are wary of McConnell because he is personally opposed to abortion. He has criticized the legal reasoning in Roe v. Wade and as a law professor, used Life magazine photos of fetuses to spark student discussion of whether abortion amounts to a taking of human life.
During his 2002 Senate confirmation hearing for the federal appeals court, however, McConnell insisted he would follow precedent in upholding Roe.
"The abortion question is completely settled," he told senators. "The only avenue for change is through constitutional amendment. ... It is not going to happen." At another point, he stated: "It is settled law. I am committed to enforcing and obeying that."
After McConnell was questioned by the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said that while he disagreed with many of McConnell's positions, the nominee "showed himself to be more of an iconoclast than an ideologue" in his candid discussion of his views.
His writings advocate ending the rigid separation of church and state that prevailed in the 1970s, and he thus supports school vouchers. That shift to a more "neutral" state approach to religion is central to the Bush administration's goal to funnel more government money to religious social service programs.
The self-described theologically conservative Christian, however, opposed government-sponsored prayer in schools.
McConnell is not without critics from the political right. Lawyer Andy Schlafly, the son of longtime conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly, recently wrote that McConnell is "every bit as hostile to conservative legal principles as (David) Souter turned out to be." Souter was named to the Supreme Court by the first President Bush and has disappointed conservatives by repeatedly siding with its more liberal members. Schlafly cited McConnell's refusal to say Roe v. Wade should be overturned, as well as a legal philosophy that "hostile to government expressions of faith." ---
"Conservative groups confronted President Bush with a groundswell of opposition this weekend against nominating his attorney general, Alberto R. Gonzales, to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.."
Well, how about the former attorney general, John Ashcroft? That would work for me.
I have a unique idea. Why not submit the name of the person who will best uphold our Constitution? This would be easy. There would be no consideration to gender or cultural background. Now isnt that easy?
Gonzales isn't a serious consideration I hope.
Remember the following article?
Ted Olson Criticizes GOP Leaders For 'Heated Rhetoric' About Judges
Drudge ^ | 4/21/05 | Drudge
Posted on 04/21/2005 11:34:44 AM CDT by joesbucks ,p>Ted Olson Criticizes GOP Leaders For 'Heated Rhetoric' About Judges Thu Apr 21 2005 09:57:54 ET
Former solicitor general Theodore Olson writes in the WALL STREET JOURNAL on Thursday: "A prominent member of the Senate leadership recently described a Supreme Court justice as 'a disgrace.' An equally prominent member of the leadership of the House of Representatives on the other side of the political aisle has characterized another justice's approach to adjudication as 'incredibly outrageous.'
These excoriations follow other examples of personalized attacks on members of the judiciary by senior political figures. So it is time to take a deep breath, step back, and inject a little perspective into the recent heated rhetoric about judges and the courts. We might start by getting a firm grip on the reality that our independent judiciary is the most respected branch of our government, and the envy of the world. ... We expect dignity, wisdom, decency, civility, integrity and restraint from our judges. It is time to exercise those same characteristics in our dealings with, and commentary on, those same judges -- from their appointment and confirmation, to their decision-making once they take office."
Developing...
Agreed. Republicans better get the Judges right or they may lose support in 2008!
Gonzales did not make the short list, is that correct?
It wouldn't surprise me a bit if President Bush once again thumbed his nose at his most ardent supporters.
Hey, I just had an idea why not name Judge Lance Ito to the Supreme Court? He would be a source of entertainment.