Jun 04 2007
Will Bush Get His 3rd Supreme Court Judge?
The betting has always been, given the age of some of the Supreme Court Justices, Bush could get to nominate three Supreme Court Judges. And of course the two justices most likely to retire due to age related issues are the three most liberal: Stevens and Ginsburg. So is it possible? It seems the White House is gearing up for the possibility:
The White House is developing a short list of possible Supreme Court nominees so President Bush can move swiftly if a justice retires at the end of June, when the Court breaks for its summer recess, according to sources involved in the selection process.
…
He told White House Counsel Fred Fielding and other administration lawyers that he wanted to nominate a woman or a minority to the Court, and his legal team has narrowed its focus to a half-dozen contenders, sources said.
That last bit will freak out the far right, who are so mad at him now anyway I think he is making a good decision. Bush always has the long view in his sites. Conservatives need more minorities and need to reach out to women better. It doesn’t need to capitulate its core beliefs, but it does need to broaden the support that has been eroding since the base has been taking down Bush on various issues that repulse these important constituencies. In recalling the myopic acts of the GOP base I forgot all the calls to give Liberals Gonzales’ head over trumped up charges surrounding the firing of 8 US Attorney Generals. Given the current emotional environment I would suspect Bush is going to go for the long view. What we don’t need is another reaction from the right liek the one that came with Miers (man, that was ugly) or has arisen around Gonzales (which has been strategically dumb).
Bush is going to do what we elected him to do – use his best judgement to do what is right. I had thought the GOP was of the mind we do not elect special interest puppets. That was until the self-proclaimed puppet masters tried to pull Bush’s strings. This should be interesting to watch. Given the fracture in the conservative movement right now, some of these liberal justices may think they have a window given the Democrats control the Senate. If it does happen, it will take some discipline and sucking up to get a conservative through the Senate. Will the right play ball or not?
AJ, I think that you are making the mistake of believing that conservatives are personality-driven….that there is a Bush cult on the right equivalent to the Kennedy and Clinton cults on the left. There isn’t. Conservatives are policy-driven, not personality-driven. Which means that we won’t hesitate to be critical of Bush when we think he’s on the wrong track.
As to Supreme Court justices, the Democrat takeover of the Senate makes a female or minority nominee more likely to get through. Now, if Bush nominates someone based purely on that issue, his support will vaporize. But if he puts forth a soundly conservative nominee who just happens to score “diversity” points….that’s quite another matter. We’ll back that nominee to the hilt.
By the way, the Miers nomination foundered on the apparent weakness of the nominee combined with the utter unwillingness of the Bush administration to make substantitive arguments for her. That case COULD have been made, and might have prevailed….but “Trust me blindly” is not an argument that will fly. Not among conservatives. We don’t do personality cults.
Mike M,
Yeah, the insults are all policy points. Look, I am fine with engaging in the battle! I too take my position completely based on the policies I think are right and the self destruction on the right which is becoming pointless and indefensible. Harriet Miers deserved respect and fair treatment. She did not get that. No lipstick can fix that pig. We have reams of blog posts showing the ugliness of the right on Miers. Do not try and tell me it doesn’t exist. So next time I am hard on the right just remember – I too do it for the policy and I too will do what is needed to win the day.
The difference is I will be back at the table to fight tomorrow win or lose. We shall see how the right reacts this week to their next big loss.
AJ
The are conservative black female judges on the bench who can be nominated. However they would be hard to get through the senate with schumer in place.
Conservatives rejected Miers because she had no bench record and there were excellent choices with proven records he was skipping over.
That is simple good reasoning, not knee jerking reaction.
Even conservatives who interviewed Miers came out to say she was not up to the job based on their evaluations of her interview.
Speaking of judges – the total and complete incompetence of the Bush Administration – from top to bottom – and its toadies in Congress who passed the Military Commissions Act – has been brought home with a vengeance:
Heckuva job, George (and Alberto, and Donald, and Dick).
Does anyone really think the Dhemmicrats will allow Bush to appoint another Supreme Court Judge? That court will have to oeprate one judge short until after the next election if one resigns or dies.
They will have to allow him to nominate another judge mom, if a vacancy comes up, the problem will be getting someone the right won’t bitch and moan about, but who can still get past the Senate.
Mike:
For years I did not feel comfortable voting for Republicans. However, in the last few years I felt differently and started voting an almost straight ticket. However, since the immigration debate began last year I have been reminded of exactly what it was that made me feel uncomfortable with the right for so long. And when you look at the election in 2006 and the number of people who are beginning to go left away from Republicans, it seems I am not the only one who is feeling uncomfortable.