Posted on 10/09/2005 9:10:09 AM PDT by Crackingham
In an interview set for broadcast on Monday, leading conservative Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia appears to be defending Harriet Miers against critics who say she doesn't have the qualifications to sit on the High Court.
"I think it's a good thing to have people from all sorts of backgrounds [on the Court]," Scalia tells CNBC's Maria Bartiromo, as the debate rages over Miers' lack of judical experience.
Without mentioning the Bush nominee by name, the conservative legal icon said that the High Court needed someone who had never served as a judge to take the place of the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
"There is now nobody with that [non judicial] background after the death of the previous chief," Scalia laments to Bartiromo.
"And the reason that's happened, I think, is that the nomination and confirmation process has become so controversial, so politicized that I think a president does not want to give the opposition an easy excuse [to say] 'Well, this person has no judicial experience.'" Scalia concludes: "I don't think that's a good thing. I think the Byron Whites, the Lewis Powells and the Bill Rehnquists have contributed to the court even though they didn't sit on a lower federal court."
Is Scalia known for going public with the odd random general comment?
So where did Scalia give a positive recommendation of Miers?
I just don't see it in his statement.
I didn't know that Roberts never served as a Federal Judge.
No
Miers -- someone who wasn't a judge replacing another who wasn't a judge. Duh!
But as they say, you read into it what you WANT it to say.
"he was not referring to his LITERAL replacement on the bench."
That's what messed me up from the beginning. You nailed it.
FYI Limbaugh is remaining neutral.
Also, SCALIA is who all you Bush bashbots point to as a REAL conservative judge. So if he is so smart according to you, why don't you trust him? hmmmmm
Your argument was bogus.
"never served as a judge"
can't be talking about Roberts as Roberts has served as a judge.
Many of us are not questioning that she is qualified. There are many others who are FAR MORE qualified and PROVEN conservatives.
So where did Scalia give a positive recommendation of Miers?
I just don't see it in his statement.
***
I don't either. He is talking in general about having someone on the court that had not been a judge first.
Even if he didn't think she was the right person, do y'all really think he is going to come out and say this when he might be working with her for a long time?
And have any of you ever heard him say something negative about a co-worker (I could have missed it)? Except maybe in his dissents when talking about their judcial opinions?
well, he granted this interview to Bartiromo - so I assume he was prepared to answer such a question with something other then "no comment". why is a financial news babe interviewing Scalia anyway?
bttt
And you know this for a fact, how?
Miers is nominated to take the place of Rehnquist, as the judge without prior judicial experience.
"FYI Limbaugh is remaining neutral. "
He's repeatedly said it wasnt the best pick. Also, there are plenty of other people speaking out on it-- levin, ingraham, bork and so on.
"Your argument was bogus."
Only in the mind of someone who couldnt understand it.
Only the latter might be true.
i feel bad for you, man. you are going to have people banging on your head for this for awhile yet; til everyone reads through the thread and sees your error.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.