Obama's Constitution

The Weekly Standard ^ | 03/17/2008, Volume 013, Issue 26 | Edward Whelan

[Doe Eyes]

Blasphemy

[Founding Father]

Those with R haven't done such a stellar job of appointing justices.

The only big screwup I see is Souter. Otherwise, the GOP has always given us better judges than the Dems, at least in my lifetime. I didn't say perfect judges (is there such a thing?) just better judges.

Well you did qualify this by saying "in my lifetime" so...., but the R's have done just as pitiful a job over the last several decades as the dems.

Eisenhower (R) gave us Earl Warren, easily one or the two or three worst justices ever; Brennan and Stewart, leftist lunatics both.

Nixon (R): Blackman and Powell who gave us abortion, along with another Nixon appointee Berger (and the aforementioned Brennan and Stewart)---yes, Eisenhower and Nixon appointed 5 of the 7 justices that gave us Roe v Wade.

Ford (R) gave us the left winger Stephens.

Reagan (R) gave us Sandra Day O' Left-Wing and Anthony Kennedy who is no conservative.

Bush the Elder (R) gave us Souter the Puke.

Based on history, no need to vote for a R just to give us better justices because it doesn't happen. I'd pick Kennedy's Byron White over any of the "republican" justices during the last 50 years.

[Tamzee]

If Barack Obama is elected president, he will probably

That scare tactic has been used with presidential elections for years.

It's ridiculous to call this analysis a "scare tactic". This is how rational people compare candidates, weigh the likely outcomes, and then decide how to place a vote to ensure as close an outcome as possible to their preferences.

McCain voted yes on Priscilla Owen, William Pryor, Janice Brown, etc for Circuit Judges and voted yes for Roberts and Alito for SCOTUS. Clinton and Obama voted NO on all of them.

It's absolutely clear that McCain and Obama/Clinton have radically different preferences regarding judges and judicial nominations is an area of immense power for a President with long-term and far-reaching political consequences.

.

[Emperor Palpatine]

The “True Conservatives” who say that are what Lenin called “useful idiots.”

[LdSentinal]

Not really.
<p<
Reagan also supported Amnesty, the Brady Bill and raised taxes.

[Emperor Palpatine]

Tell that to the cement-headed true believers here.

[pabianice]

McCain is younger than more than half the Court but he’s “too old to serve” because he’s not a Democrat. LOL!

[hdbc]

Granted, there’s no guarantee McCain or any other Republican will appoint conservative judges, but we have no chance of getting an even moderate judge with either Marxist on the other side. SCOTUS is reason alone to hold your nose and vote McCain.

[TomGuy]

we have no chance of getting an even moderate judge with either Marxist on the other side.

Part of the blame for that would be the Republicans on the Judiciary committee. Senator Specter comes to mind.

[Parmenio]

It was that same Republican president who gave us Clarence Thomas too. A .500 batting average on judges is better than the .000 we got from Clinton.

I said there’s a chance with McCain. With Obama, we would get nothing.

[Parmenio]

I agree with your “tolerably sane” comment. Thank you for improving my thoughts on this.

[isrul]

The SC thing isn't workin’ for me. Only leftist judges look to be leaving in the next several years. (barring the unexpected). So Worst case scenario, status quo is maintained. I see no different scenario with McCain. NO matter what he says. His word has no value with me. He likes leftists and I believe he will try to appoint them, simply by calling them conservatives.

[goldfinch]

That scare tactic has been used with presidential elections for years.

But, look at the track record. Those with R haven't done such a stellar job of appointing justices. Even with the current R, we almost got Harriet Miers.

Agreed that several Republican appointed Supremes have been disappointments...especially those appointed when the Democrats controlled the Senate.

The thing is that the Democrats are very, very good at appointing judges that advance their far left wing ideas. Given the alternative, I prefer to take my chances on McCain.

[goldfinch]

Based on history, no need to vote for a R just to give us better justices because it doesn't happen. I'd pick Kennedy's Byron White over any of the "republican" justices during the last 50 years.

How about if we limit if to the last 40 years?

[neverdem]

thanks, bfl

[hsalaw]

McCain also voted for Ruth Bader Ginsberg and he supported the nomination of Harriet Miers.

I have a lot of reasons to distrust McCain, but these aren't among them. Most Republican senators did vote for that looney old leftist Ginsberg, because that was back in the days when they thought the President had the right to choose Supreme Court justices. And a number of Republicans supported Miers and it may just have been one of the very few times McCain decided to support Pres. Bush.

[rmlew]

Based on history, no need to vote for a R just to give us better justices because it doesn't happen. I'd pick Kennedy's Byron White over any of the "republican" justices during the last 50 years.
So you don't like Thomas, Scalia, Roberts or Alito?

[Founding Father]

For the most part, yes I like them (in order: Thomas, Scalia, Alito and Roberts), but White easily outpaces all four of them. Don’t be fooled, all five of the justices would be considered wildly liberal and part of the lunatic left by the founding fathers.