Bush aide likely high court nominee

LOS ANGELES TIMES ^ | 1/31/02 | DAVID G. SAVAGE

[Afronaut]

WASHINGTON -- White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales, the soft- spoken son of migrant farm workers, has emerged as the overwhelming favorite for a Supreme Court nomination in the months ahead, a move that would give President Bush a historic and politically powerful chance to name the first Latino to the nation's highest court.

[Dog Gone]

Remember, the purpose of the lunatic fringe at this forum is to make our comments, in comparison, seem reasonable and intelligent. ;-)

[dirtboy]

Throwing out such activist, judicial legislation, is never "activist" itself, regardless of the magnitude of the consequences.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this point. I think there are ways to undo judicial activism without in turn setting a precedent ... of grossly ignoring precedent, in the manners I have stated previously.

[rwfromkansas]

Not too long ago, he was considered a contender, but not the leader. I don't know why he is now all of a sudden.

I am also a bit tired of some people saying this guy is conservative and others saying he is not. For a SCOTUS position though, thta raises a red flag on a possible Souter 2.

[rwfromkansas]

He voted against parental notification!

I am not an abortion-only voter, but if he voted agains that, WHY THE HELL IS HE EVEN BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION????? He would not vote to allow PBA to be banned even!

[rwfromkansas]

Alarm bells are going off in my head about this being a possible Souter 2. That said, those bells will disappear if you can convince me (and it wouldn't take a lot, as I am pretty much a certified Bushie....) that the TX case was a true strict constructionist rendering. That totally escapes me.....it seems the state would have a right to allow abortions in minors only if they get parental permission and that doesn't seem to be a violation of a state's power.

[mwl1]

Thanks, Dog. And Happy New Year.

[rwfromkansas]

Cetainly true, but a conservative political view TENDS to produce strict constructionism.....look at Scalia, who Bush at least claims will be his model for a justice. Being conservative would instill more confidence that he is not a fake strict constructionist, but a true one.

[rwfromkansas]

How could he do so?

[deport]

I am not an abortion-only voter, but if he voted agains that, WHY THE HELL IS HE EVEN BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION????? He would not vote to allow PBA to be banned even!

---

Have you even read his opinion on why he voted the way he did? It was a 6-3 vote if I remember correctly so there were five others that felt the same way, but maybe for different reasons.

[rwfromkansas]

My dream (If Gonzelez is a true strict constructionist, which I still am unsure about since there isn't much on him) would be to have him replace O'Conner and for Scalia or the black guy (geez.....forgot his name!) to replace Rehnquist.

[Dog Gone]

The case had to do with the parental notification law in Texas, which allows some minors to get an abortion without the parents being informed under certain circumstances.

The question was NOT whether minors can get abortions. That has already been settled at the Federal level. This had only to do with parental notification.

Texas lawmakers had to make some exceptions to the parental notification law in order to comply with the Federal instructions, which essentially attempted to guarantee that parents would be notified except where the girl could prove to the court that she was (1) mature and sufficiently well informed to make her own decision, or (2) that notification may lead to physical, sexual or emotional abuse, or (3) that parental notification would not be in her best interest.

That is the Texas law.

In almost all cases, a girl in Texas who tries to avoid notification is turned down.

In this one case, Gonzales wrote for the majority in the court that a girl may have shown this, and the case was sent down to the trial court for a determination of fact. We don't even know if the girl ever had an abortion.

That is the "crime" with which Gonzales is charged. It's nuts.

I would also point out that the Judge who disagreed with him most at the time, Priscilla Owen, was nominated by Bush to the Federal bench. The nomination was recommended by none other than Al Gonzales.

[rwfromkansas]

No doubt about it. This is the longest stretch between vacancies in decades IIRC. Somebody has GOT to croack or step down soon.....likely some GOP folks (O'Conner, please step down). But, if Bush is elected to a second term, a liberal will HAVE to go....I honestly can't imagine them all either living or not resigning.

[Uncle Bill]

Bush's Court Jester - "The man charged by President Bush with screening potential U.S. Supreme Court justice nominees believes the Constitution is a living document"

Scalia slams 'living' document philosophy

[Dog Gone]

Of course, Gonzales didn't say that, and Farah simply was on one of his usual bug-eyed rants, which is why I usually ignore him.

[deport]

None of this should be surprising, of course. Only months before being appointed by Bush as his top lawyer, Gonzales cast the tie-breaking vote in the Texas Supreme Court against a parental-consent requirement before a minor could obtain an abortion in the state.

The above quote is from the linked article which is utter bull sh't. The decision was 6 - 3.

[mwl1]

Put your worries aside. It is a given all over Washington that Bush will elevate Scalia to chief justice with the Rehnquist retirement. Bush loves Scalia. Gonzales will backfill Scalia.

[RnMomof7]

If you believe that President Bush is part of the New World Order, then you must be hallucinating. Clinton yes, Bush no.

HELLOOOOOOOOOO That term was coined by his Dad..and GWB used it several times in his Nafta anniversary address..LAST WEEK ..perhaps another freeper has the link

[mwl1]

These ranting idiots who hate Gonzales for whatever reason are short-sighted and playing with political fire.

One more time: Gonzales is plenty conservative. He would not be chief legal counsel to President Bush if he were not so. Perhaps some of these posters would be happy with Supreme Court nominees from President Gore.

[Dog Gone]

Farah never lets the truth get in the way of one his rants.

[mwl1]

Your interpretation of the New World Order is clearly at odds with what President Bush has in mind. Our national soveigrnty is not going to be compromised by this President.