KRISTOL: Bush Rises to the Occasion The Roberts pick is courageous and important.

The Weekly Standard ^ | 07/19/2005 | Bill Kristole

[tellw]

WITH THE SUPREME COURT PICK of John Roberts, George W. Bush rose to the occasion.

The occasion was an opportunity to reshape the Supreme Court. Bush seized the opportunity, in two ways: He moved the Court a solid step to the right (to speak vulgarly), and he elevated its quality. It's true that Roberts is a Rehnquist, not a Scalia or a Thomas. He'll be a little more incremental, a little more cautious, than some of us rabid constitutionalists will sometimes like. But he is a conservative pick, and a quality pick--and, to my surprise, a non-PC, non-quota pick.

I had expected Bush to choose a woman. Indeed, I pointed in last week's editorial to several competent and qualified conservative woman. But in preemptively yielding to gender quotas, so to speak, I made a mistake--and earned a well-deserved and well-argued rebuke from Charmaine Yoest at National Review Online, who said I (and others) had "conceded too easily" to the pernicious claims of identity politics. She was right. And the president, weighing a truly important decision for the country's future, agreed with her. By simply going for the best person, by not worrying about walking out to the podium last night accompanied by a white male, Bush did something important and courageous. He showed that he knows that on really significant matters, one has to ignore political correctness and political pandering, and even political convenience. For this lesson, as well as for an intellectually impressive and politically sound choice, Bush deserves a lot of credit. I unreservedly give it to him.

William Kristol is editor of The Weekly Standard.

[billbears]

Wouldn't it be ironic if "brilliant" John Roberts' decisions turn out to be pretty much the same as Clarence Thomas's decisions?

It would not only be ironic, it would be a miracle. Roberts doesn't have much out but the few quotes I've read from him don't portray him to be a states rights sort of guy like Thomas

[REDWOOD99]

Ever get the feeling that W is playing on a different field?

[A Citizen Reporter]

LOL!

[Semper911]

when I see Bill Kristol, the name "Uriah Heep" comes to mind.

LOL -- You crack me up at least three times a week.

[GOPJ]

By simply going for the best person, by not worrying about walking out to the podium last night accompanied by a white male, Bush did something important and courageous. He showed that he knows that on really significant matters, one has to ignore political correctness and political pandering, and even political convenience. For this lesson, as well as for an intellectually impressive and politically sound choice, Bush deserves a lot of credit. I unreservedly give it to him.

Bush is his own man. Score one for the team.

[sirthomasthemore]

Steven, I think you're points are valid. But, let's be honest, in Roberts, we have a right/center jurist. O'Connor was a right/center jurist, and drove us to distraction.

I guess my point is that despite the current view that the Court has moved a step to the right, that may or may not be so.
BR>

TAGLINES

Pzifer: “Viagra won’t cause dementia or blindness". (Except if one wears a Black Robe)

Clean your muskets and sharpen your pitchforks and get ready to ride to the sound of the guns.(KELO) :o}-

Dems, hello??? We could get out of Vietnam; we can’t GET OUT of terrorism.

[Clemenza]

when I see Bill Kristol, the name "Uriah Heep" comes to mind.

Well, that is the "Nature of the Beast."

[paulat]

Dubya compromised with the Dems. He wouldn't swing for the fences, in exchange the Dems accepted the "gapper" into right center. How far Roberts goes round the bases will be the ultimate factor in determining who got the best of the trade.

....so...who's on first???

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

He's acts nervous, like a dog that just got busted snatching a steak off the table...

I guess it's petty, but what I'm saying here is that his creepy facial expressions give him a distrustful appearance. I could very well be wrong about that, he may be a truly decent person.

I also have similar thoughts when watching other so-called “conservative” commentators on the talking head circuit, especially when they agree to appear alone with three flaming liberals...

[sirthomasthemore]

so...who's on first???
**********************
Right! BR>

TAGLINES

Pzifer: “Viagra won’t cause dementia or blindness". (Except if one wears a Black Robe)

Clean your muskets and sharpen your pitchforks and get ready to ride to the sound of the guns.(KELO) :o}-

Dems, hello??? We could get out of Vietnam; we can’t GET OUT of terrorism.

[familyop]

"...courageous?" It would've been courageous to have chosen someone like Bork. Any less moral person is unfit to be any kind of leader.

[Ptui!]

[LibertarianInExile]

I get the same impression, although I won't speak as if I've read much of Roberts' stuff. From the little I've seen, he seems a solidly pro-property jurist, but in the same vein as Rehnquist, he will likely continue to expand police powers. His take on federalism is untested insofar as an appellate judge has to rule based on the law set forth above, but it's hard to imagine any 'brilliant' judge would be as inconsistent as a Rehnquist or O'Connor there. Again, we know only a little of what he really thinks.

I remain positive, however, about the Republic's prospects with this nominee. Even if he is 100% a clone of Rehnquist, Roberts is absolutely better than another O'Connor, and certainly better than replacing the witch with an uncertain appointee like Clements. Things seem to be looking up, especially (as noted above) because the affirmative action politics of race and sex based appointments seem to have been ignored here. And AMEN to that.

[Semper911]

that is the "Nature of the Beast."

Heh heh.

...is he a Demon or a Wizard?

[LibertarianInExile]

I agree we should be cautious in our enthusiasm until we have had time to check this guy out a bit. But I think he's got way more of a track record than Clements does. And at least we know he'll be a replacement vote for the O'Connor Kelo vote, and other myriad takings actions. I'm not committed to this guy yet. But based upon what seems to have come out so far, we could have done worse--even if he turns out to be a grade-A Rehnquist clone. At least he has a record of service that leans right, as opposed to a record that leans middle.

What I am somewhat concerned about is his past donation to Lugar's campaign. It is possible he's an internationalist. Roberts is from IN originally, and was a DC attorney for a while, so I'm somewhat mollified with the idea that he had to. But I'm keeping my eyes open.

[jan in Colorado]

He wanted to find the best person for the job. Period.

Next to sending troops to war, Bush knows that the most solemn duty of a President is naming Supreme Court justices. He wanted to get it right. And he did.

Excellent post Dems_R_Losers!

[skr]

think the FALSE info about Edith (Joy) Clement was given to Certain people to see if they would LEAK it to the press.....Bushie now knows some cannot be trusted.

A shrewd point about a shrewd President.

[Saint Athanasius]

Before everyone gets all excited about this Justice you might want to read this quote from him

"Roe v. Wade is the settled law of the land. ... There is nothing in my personal views that would prevent me from fully and faithfully applying that precedent."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/topstory/3272452

[Texas2step]

Before everyone gets all excited about this Justice you might want to read this quote from him ...

Before you get too excited (or is it already too late?), you might want to remember that as a nominee for an appellate court, there is nothing wrong with this statement that you seem to want to plaster to every John Roberts thread...

As an appellate judge, RvW is the settled law of the land. Period. We don't like it, but that's the truth.

He also stated, when arguing a case as a solicitor that RvW was "bad law" and basically had no founding in the constitution and should be overturned.

Again, that fit the position he was in at the time, but I happen to believe this is a little closer to his personal philosophy than the "settled law" comment he basically had to make as a nominee for appellate judge.

[RWR8189]

I give Kristol the credit for being one of the first pundits out there saying it would be O'Connor and not Rehquist resigning this session.

[NC Native]

I've been nosing about and asking the same question as well. Enquiring minds, and all that...