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To: Still Thinking; loboinok
Bush actually appoints far more conservative justices than Reagan, despite governing far to Ronnie’s left.

While on the surface that seems true, when you dig a little deeper it's not as simple as it looks.

Sandra Day O'Connor was appointed because Reagan had pledged to appoint the first woman to the Court. This was just eight years after Roe v. Wade and the whole notion of what to look for in an originalist justice was not even really known. O'Connor seemed like a safe bet, history proved otherwise.

Scalia was Reagan's second appointment and I don't think ANYONE will argue that he was a bad choice.

Anthony Kennedy was Reagan's final appointment and even though he is now considered the "swing vote" he is still far more conservative than O'Connor.

However, the biggest thing to remember with Kennedy is that he was Reagan's THIRD choice. We all remember Bork, and this was the first time a Supreme Court appointee had EVER been challenged based on his politics and not qualifications. Reagan then nominated Douglas Ginsburg, but his nomination was withdrawn because he had smoked marjuana twenty years before (something that would not even get a bit of attention today). It is worth noting that had Ginsburg been confirmed, he would certainly be among the most conservative justices on the Court if his record on the D.C. Court of Appeals is any indication. Reagan finally settled on Kennedy because everyone assured him that he would sail through confirmation and this was important, the Senate Iran-Contra hearings had just finished, Bork was trashed, and the 1988 election was coming up, Reagan needed to resolve the matter as expediently as possible and Kennedy was "safe".

788 posted on 06/26/2008 9:40:13 AM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: wagglebee
I agree with most of what you say with one exception...

O'Connor seemed like a safe bet

Reagan knew O'Connor's positions and votes(as an AZ Senator)concerning the Equal Rights Amendment, abortion-on-demand, abortion for minors without parental consent, Constitutional amendment to protect human life and abortion for minors without parental consent, to name a few.

She had a pretty solid liberal record, indicating how she would rule.

827 posted on 06/26/2008 10:20:07 AM PDT by loboinok (Gun control is hitting what you aim at!)
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To: wagglebee
However, the biggest thing to remember with Kennedy is that he was Reagan's THIRD choice. We all remember Bork, and this was the first time a Supreme Court appointee had EVER been challenged based on his politics and not qualifications.

Irony there is that this might have been 5-4 the other way if Bork was the nominee. Douglas GinsbErg with an e (not to be confused with Ruth Bader GinsbUrg with a u) would have been a great Justice.

982 posted on 06/26/2008 6:11:39 PM PDT by Darren McCarty (Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in - Michael Corleone)
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