Racicot for future Supreme Court? (Vanity)

[MoonMullins]

He is a smart and well-spoken, and young enough (56) to serve for several years with distinction. I don't know if he alienated democrats as the chair of the RNC, but I suspect he could be confirmed.

My back-up selection would be Orrin Hatch, only because there is no way Arlen Specter would vote against him. But his age (70+?) limits his potential legacy.

In the meantime, I hope Rehnquist has a speedy recovery and lives a long and fruitful life.

Any thoughts?

[frankenMonkey]

I'm very familiar with Orin Hatch, over his entire career, and he can't be trusted for a judicial spot. He has no overriding conservative core - he could very easily start citing "international law" or any other number of goofy behaviors. Stay far, far away from that one...

[vharlow]

I wouldn't put any long standing legislator on the SC. Their views are all well known, and they are partisan to the core. They also don't think the same way as folks from the judicial arena. Name one who would be able to say that laws they put on the books are clearly unconstitutional? Many laws are. The guys you recommend (well, not Racicot) have made laws.

[DTogo]

Racicot for Supreme Court? PUH-LEASE!!

I want Bush to fill his Cabinet and the Courts with people who actually know what they're doing, not simply political cronies to whom he feels he owes something.

[Melas]

He's not a judge though. While not an actual requirement, it's a defacto requirement.

[Ancesthntr]

Bork is a statist anti-gunner. Even if I liked him, he's near 70 now and a heavy smoker. No thanks, find someone who can read the 2nd Amendment correctly and who's under 50.

[Tacis]

THE CRAPWEASEL SCUMBAG DEMS ON THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WILL OPPOSE ANYONE BUSH NOMINATES FOR SUPREME COURT JUSTICE. That is why it is so important for the Senate Republicans to have a leader with cajones. That is not Frist!!! Where are the memos from the dem computer? Why haven't they been released?

Let us make sure that the rules for the 109th Congress favor the majority. If the scumbags are going to filibuster, let's keep everyone on the feet all night.

No matter who W nominates, Leahy, Kennedy and Schumer will find some silly reason to oppose him. GUARANTEE!!!

[Time is now]

He's brilliant, but alas, probably to old. What a shame Sphincter kept us from enjoying his reliable interpretations of the Constitution.

[madrastex]

Orrin Hatch should be put out to pasture!

[pilgrim]

"My back-up selection would be Orrin Hatch, only because there is no way Arlen Specter would vote against him. But his age (70+?) limits his potential legacy."

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Personally, Hatch has lost a few brick off his chimney!!!  Here are a few items concerning Mr. Hatch. 

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Hatch's bill for tuition breaks for undocumented immigrants bypasses floor vote
Salt Lake Tribune ^ | 02 October 2004 | Christopher Smith

Posted on 10/02/2004 7:51:23 PM PDT by soccer8

WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, has inserted his "DREAM Act" into the budget authorization for the Justice Department, bypassing opposition from Republican leaders who have refused to schedule a floor vote on the measure to permit states to give college tuition breaks to illegal immigrants.

 

http://www.hillnews.com/news/021804/hatch.aspx 

GOP senators circle wagons round Hatch
Top conservatives tell their ideological allies to hold fire
By Alexander Bolton

Three top Senate conservatives have told GOP conservative groups to lay off Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who helped trigger a controversial investigation into leaked Democratic Judiciary Committee documents. (snip).....................

Speaking of Hatch, who chairs the Judiciary panel, Richard Lessner, executive director of the American Conservative Union, said: “He’s a senior senator and been there for a long time.” Lessner, however, declined to comment on the specifics of the meeting. “I suppose they want to protect him from the criticism he’s receiving from conservatives,” he said.

It appears, however, that the message hasn’t fully taken hold.

“When conservatives bring up the same questions regarding the judicial nominees, it doesn’t seem Orrin Hatch is on our side to get the ball rolling,” said David Almasi of the American Criminal Justice Center, referring to allegations that the Democrats linked the progress of judicial nominees to campaign contributions. (snip).......................

Many conservatives are incensed that Hatch helped oust Miranda, a top aide to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) on judicial issues. Conservatives take issue with the decision to push Miranda out of the Senate even before Pickle completed his report.

“I don’t think [Hatch] is as committed to achieving success for our side as the Democrats are to seeing their side prevail,” said Lessner. “Senator Hatch’s first instinct was not to defend our side but to throw our side overboard.” (snip)...............................

 

Insight on the News - Politics  http://www.insightmag.com/global_user_elements/printpage.cfm?storyid=644274
Issue: 4/13/04

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Hatch and Frist Fire Whistle-blower
By John M. Powers

Republican leaders have broken a promise they made to expose the shocking contents of memos exchanged among Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats, says Manuel Miranda, the former GOP aide who is the whistle-blower at the center of the so-called Memogate scandal. Miranda tells Insight in an exclusive interview that both Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) broke clearly stated promises to expose collusion between top Democrats and special-interest groups seeking to thwart President George W. Bush's nominees to federal courts.

"Sen. Hatch told me specifically, point blank, that if I resigned he could then talk about the substance of the memos," Miranda tells Insight. "I was told by the Frist office that, if I resigned, the Democrats would basically calm down" and the Republicans could make the memos public. Miranda said the same promises were made to conservative groups that assist the Republicans in gaining support for judicial nominees.  (snip)..................

 

Hatch seems to be aiding wrong party
	Posted by Utah Girl On News/Activism 03/11/2004 7:17:52 PM PST · 43 replies · 16+ views The Deseret News ^ | 3/10/2004 | Lee Davidson Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch is in the odd position of drawing praise from his foes — and flak from his friends — over how he handled the "memogate" scandal of two of his aides raiding Democrats' computer files. So was Hatch a man who showed integrity as he waded through scandal, as Democrats say? Or was he duped by Democrats into overlooking their more serious sins as he flogged his own people instead, as upset conservative groups contend? Signs are that both may be right. It all began last fall when 14 Democratic files were leaked to the...

Hatch: Senate Supports Stem Cell Research
	Posted by Pikamax On News/Activism 07/04/2004 10:50:05 PM PDT · 15 replies · 344+ views AP ^ | 07/04/04 | AP Hatch: Senate Supports Stem Cell Research Sun Jul 4, 5:18 PM ET Add Politics - AP to My Yahoo! WASHINGTON - Sen. Orrin Hatch, a Republican supporter of embryonic stem cell research, said Sunday there is wide support in the Senate to ease the Bush administration's restrictive policy. Hatch said supporters have more than the 60 votes needed to end a filibuster, but he's unsure whether Congress would act "in this hot political atmosphere." The Utah senator predicted on CNN's "Late Edition" that the administration and supporters of the research would reach a compromise that would include moral and ethical...

 

Orrin G. Hatch Fires Back at His Conservative Critics

Posted by Theodore R. On News/Activism 06/11/2004 6:43:58 AM PDT · 28 replies · 42+ views The Hill ^ | 06-11-04 | Bolton, Alexander Hatch fires back at his conservative critics By Alexander Bolton Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is firing back at conservative critics on and off the Hill who have lambasted him for not moving more judicial nominees out of his committee. The rift stems from Hatch’s handling of a Senate sergeant at arms investigation into the unauthorized access of close to 5,000 internal Democratic Judiciary Committee documents from committee computers. Hatch approved the investigation, which resulted in the resignation of Manuel Miranda, who organized the GOP strategy on judges when he served as an aide...

 

[Pinetop]

I do hope that the Chief Justice is not gravely ill and continues to serve. But, if he does retire, Gonzalez, Justice Wilkinson, Justice Janice Rogers Brown and Racicot are good choices. (Gonzalez is not my first choice.) Ted Olson is too old at 63, but he would be excellent.

[maridee]

I vote for Ted Olsen.

[Time is now]

What is Racicot's judicial history? How long was he on the bench? Coulter? Come on! Any idea of how many J.D.'s are handed out every year? Everyone with a legal degree doesn't have the background for constitutional scholarship.

[Time is now]

My apologies, I thought you mentioned Coulter, it was Hatch in your post. Sorry, that's even worse!

[ImpotentRage]

Orrin Hatch? NEVER! I don't trust this guy as far as I could throw him.

[yavapai]

Racicot would be great but not rino Hatch. Dubya is going to have to persuede about 4 or 5 democrats to vote with us to get confirmation of a conservative judge for the SCOTUS though.

[Sloth]

LOL, I would love to read Ann's dissenting opinions... Actually, come to think of it, I'd rather read her majority opinions.

[David]

"Doesn't Ann Coulter have a law degree? Seriously, I think she does."

Not only does she have a law degree, she was a Supreme Court clerk which implies that she has the shots as a lawyer that would qualify her for the position. Incidentally, Laura Ingraham also was a SupCt clerk. The clerks are choosen from the top of the best law classes in the country. (Aspiring business lawyers are usually not interested in the job.)

[Blessed]

Hatch = Sutter

[mgobluegop]

If you go with Olson how about Ben Ginsberg?

[yooper]

"Hatch's age is a disqualifier."

Hatch's demeanor is a disqualifier. He couldn't even herd his own Senatorial Republican peers into unanimously voting for Bubba's richly deserved impeachment.

The guy doesn't know how to go for the throat. Hatch would be a disaster.

Surely the party can come up with a better candidate than this.