Barack Hussein Obama on selecting Supreme Court Justices

MSNBC ^ | Carrie Dann

[Jeff Head]

"We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that's the criteria by which I'm going to be selecting my judges." - Barack Hussein Obama, To Planned Parenthood, July 17, 2007

Obama hinted that the court's recent decision in Gonzales v. Carhart -- which upheld a ban on partial-birth abortion -- was part of "a concerted effort to steadily roll back" access to abortions. And he ridiculed Justice Anthony Kennedy, who wrote that case's majority opinion.

[RightWhale]

Those aren’t legal criteria. They would suffice for electing somebody to the Senate, but for the Supreme Court a person would have to have knowledge of law and theory of law.

[AlaskaErik]

What we really need are jurists who understand the Constitution of the United States of America.

[BlessedBeGod]

"We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old. And that's the criteria by which I'm going to be selecting my judges."

And just what does any of this have to do with the law?

[Jeff Head]

McCain's record on abortion overall, and his own statements regarding the court are in absolute contrast with Obama's when it comes to the Supreme Court.

They may certainly not be all that we would like, but they are far different in both essence and practicality than Obama's.

There are areas where we will lose the same type of ground with McCain as with Obama (or close to it) like Global Warming and Immigration (though I personally think we can fight mcCain on the immigration issue). But there are also areas where we will absolutely not lose ground like in the War on Terror and on the Court.

Unfortunately, and tragically for our Republic, these are the choices we are left with and I will chose to not lose that ground on the abortion, court, and war issues when faced with an alternative of losing ground in all areas.

[catpuppy]

We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old.

Exactly right, O-man. Then we can change the motto on the Statue of Liberty to read, "Give me your poor, black, lesbian, disabled teenage mothers suffering from a premature aging disease ... and we'll make them Supreme Court Justices!

[Jeff Head]

Agreed, but if you have a President who selects them and a Congress who confirms them...that is what you get.

[AlternateEgo]

“I have no assurance that he wouldn’t make the same sort of picks as Hillobama.”
__________________________________________________________

If you really believe what you said then you haven’t been paying attention. McCain voted for Alito and Roberts; Obama voted against them. Did you read this article about the kind of justice Obama is looking for? Whereas McCain has stated he wants more justices in the mold of Roberts & Alito; justices that will interpret the constitution as written, not as activist judges would want it to be.

[Jeff Head]

Nothing. But it has everything to do with the destruction of the constitutional intent of the Judiciary...which is apparently what Obama is about.

[SF Republican]

Let me get this straight, you think Justice Kennedy does not know how to be a doctor, but you will pick a judge, that knows what its like to be a young teenage mom

[RightWhale]

So we have a choice betwenn awful and gawdawful.

[Jeff Head]

FYI...this man is clearly an absolute and complete disaster for our Republic waiting to happen.

[windsorknot]

This man is such a dunce; his ignorance is appalling. I am starting to dislike him with the same level intensity I had once reserved for Hillary Rotten.

[rawhide]

This guy is so scary. How can anyone vote for him after all that has come out about him, his beliefs, his statements, his church, and such and such? It is almost like these people voting for him do not care, come what may, good or bad, mainly bad? Of course, the alternative to voting for in the primaries is just as bad?

[Brilliant]

“We need somebody who’s got the heart, the empathy...”

No. We need someone who will apply the law to the facts.

[Jeff Head]

That’s exactly what the man (Obama) is saying, along with a working knowledge of being gay. Apparently these traits are as important as understanding the constitution to this shameful excuse for a Presidential candidate.

[OeOeO]

"We need somebody who's got the heart, the empathy, to recognize what it's like to be a young teenage mom. The empathy to understand what it's like to be poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old.

Well there you go. I guess he will nominate a young teenage mom to the court, since the others are already covered.

[Huck]

poor, or African-American, or gay, or disabled, or old

He sure has high regard for being african-american. he seems to think it's an illness or disability.

[Jeff Head]

Exaclty...which is precisely why we must stop Obama or Hillary from gaining the Presidency, among many other equally compelling reasons.

[Lumper20]

Obama needs to serve in combat. It would knock that chip off his shoulder.

[Jay Howard Smith]

We don’t want Obama making 2 or 3 lifetime appointments to the SC

It could be 3-5 SC justices ... and how many Federal Judges are we talking about..?