Justice Souter will retire

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

National Public Radio is reporting that Souter has informed the White House of his intentions and will remain on the bench until a successor is confirmed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_...s_scotus_souter

[scandal 951]

National Public Radio is reporting that Souter has informed the White House of his intentions and will remain on the bench until a successor is confirmed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_...s_scotus_souter

Swap liberal for liberal... maintain status quo (for now) on the bench...

Factors in his decision no doubt include the election of President Obama, who would be more likely to appoint a successor attuned to the principles Souter has followed as a moderate-to-liberal member of the court's more liberal bloc over the past two decades.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...oryId=103694193

[Nagishkaw 510]

hmmmmmm...

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

"It is much easier to modify an opinion if one has not already persuasively declared it."

“It is impossible, maybe undesirable, to take partisanship out of the political process.”

“The challenger has an uphill fight. If he's lucky enough to win and gets to the general election, he's going to be broke.”

“What I would ask and have asked ... is are we going to start seeing pressure for change in the process that feeds these people to us.”

“It's left strictly to each justice.”

“The law schools are taking a position on First Amendment grounds, and that position is in interference with military recruiting, no question about it.”

--David Souter

[Danno 1,228]

Liberal Female need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Liberal Female Impersonator need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

Fixored!

[scandal 951]

Liberal Female need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

I don't know who "these people" are, (somehow I suspect I am a "these people"), but...

no doubt we'll see nominated the only female left-handed HIV-positive black Hispanic Jewish lesbian short-statured physically-handicapped blind deaf AARP-ACLU-NAACP with a lithp and an overbite in the country who also happens to have a law degree, regardless of whether she's ever served on the bench of any court. On second thought, who cares if she has a law degree? As long as she's got those other attributes, she's qualified!

Or, isn't that the firm conviction of every one of u radical righters?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Liberal Female need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

I don't know who "these people" are, (somehow I suspect I am a "these people"), but...

no doubt we'll see nominated the only female left-handed HIV-positive black Hispanic Jewish lesbian short-statured physically-handicapped blind deaf AARP-ACLU-NAACP with a lithp and an overbite in the country who also happens to have a law degree, regardless of whether she's ever served on the bench of any court. On second thought, who cares if she has a law degree? As long as she's got those other attributes, she's qualified!

Or, isn't that the firm conviction of every one of u radical righters?

In all seriousness, knowing the landscape of the current court, and the direction the left wants to go, no doubt whatever flavor of justice is nominated, she/he will be branded as radically pro-choice, and an activist. The Republican Senators will complain and take to the airwaves, but the justice will be confirmed, unless Obama's team somehow fails to properly vet the nominee.

[scandal 951]

Liberal Female need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

I don't know who "these people" are, (somehow I suspect I am a "these people"), but...

no doubt we'll see nominated the only female left-handed HIV-positive black Hispanic Jewish lesbian short-statured physically-handicapped blind deaf AARP-ACLU-NAACP with a lithp and an overbite in the country who also happens to have a law degree, regardless of whether she's ever served on the bench of any court. On second thought, who cares if she has a law degree? As long as she's got those other attributes, she's qualified!

Or, isn't that the firm conviction of every one of u radical righters?

In all seriousness, knowing the landscape of the current court, and the direction the left wants to go, no doubt whatever flavor of justice is nominated, she/he will be branded as radically pro-choice, and an activist. The Republican Senators will complain and take to the airwaves, but the justice will be confirmed, unless Obama's team somehow fails to properly vet the nominee.

In all seriousness, you are right. And this is as it should be.

Liberal Presidents nominate liberal Justices, conservative Presidents nominate conservative Justices. Not just to the Supreme court, but throughout the federal circuit courts. This is a time honored tradition in keeping with the Constitution as envisioned by the framers. It's the one truly lasting way in which a President can affect public policy long after his Administration ends.

I'm a liberal, but I fully respected Bush's right to nominate Harriet Miers, I'm just glad his own caucus rebelled at such an obviously unqualified choice. The nomination reflected badly on him, not on her. The subsequent nomination of Roberts was also appropriate. He is qualified, and was properly confirmed. Now it's Obama's turn. The country elected a Democrat, so we'll get the natural shift to the other side for a period of time. For now, it's still a predominantly conservative court with Kennedy being the only real swing vote. The next up for retirement will probably be Stevens or Ginsburg, so it's gonna be a while before there's an opportunity to replace a conservative with a liberal and actually change the balance of the court. Conservatives can breathe easy for now.

[Ban Hammer 14,569]

Liberal Female need only apply

(no joke, ....these people are so predictable)

I don't know who "these people" are, (somehow I suspect I am a "these people"), but...

no doubt we'll see nominated the only female left-handed HIV-positive black Hispanic Jewish lesbian short-statured physically-handicapped blind deaf AARP-ACLU-NAACP with a lithp and an overbite in the country who also happens to have a law degree, regardless of whether she's ever served on the bench of any court. On second thought, who cares if she has a law degree? As long as she's got those other attributes, she's qualified!

Or, isn't that the firm conviction of every one of u radical righters?

you left out "illegal"

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Among those who might make the list of replacements: incoming solicitor general Elena Kagan, formerly the dean of the Harvard Law School, Cass Sunstein, a brilliant constitutional law prof who now works at Obama's Office of Management and Budget, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, appellate judge Diane Wood, and Leah Ward Sears, the chief justice of Georgia's Supreme Court. A dark horse might be Judge Nicholas Garaufis of the Eastern District of New York. Less known but equally potent candidates would be Stanford's Pam Karlan, an intellectually brilliant liberal, and Johnnie Rawlinson, an appeals court judge and the first African American woman appointed to that circuit. Of all these candidates, Wood and Karlan are probably the brightest lights, and Wood would be most palatable to conservatives. Cato's Ilya Shapiro, a former Wood student, said that she'd offer a "seriousness of purpose and no ideological ax to grind, this making her the best nominee for supporters of constitutionalism.

If Obama has a short list, it is probably much longer than mine, and includes many judges I haven't considered.

Watch for Vice President Joe Biden, a former chair of the Judiciary Committee in the Senate, to play a significant role in this process. Biden's chief of staff, Ron Klain, has more experience vetting potential nominees than just about anyone else in Washington, and the process of compiling an initial list of nominees has been given to his office.

http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/04/so...replace_him.php

Nope. Rush is not on the list...

[alienlovechild 75]

Liberal Presidents nominate liberal Justices, conservative Presidents nominate conservative Justices. Not just to the Supreme court, but throughout the federal circuit courts.

Doesn't work that way. Souter was appointed by Bush 41 and turned out to be more liberal than thought. I can't think of a single appointment by a liberal Democrat that turned out more conservative.

For now, it's still a predominantly conservative court with Kennedy being the only real swing vote. The next up for retirement will probably be Stevens or Ginsburg, so it's gonna be a while before there's an opportunity to replace a conservative with a liberal and actually change the balance of the court. Conservatives can breathe easy for now.

It can't be predominately conservative and have a swing vote. Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts are the only conservative ones- no majority with 4 out of 9.

Don't count out Hilliary Clinton because she may be too old to be Prez and she's as power hungry as they come.

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

Don't count out Hilliary Clinton because she may be too old to be Prez and she's as power hungry as they come.

She would be a mistake. The wingnuts put 40-somethings in SCOTUS, would be silly if D's didn't do the same.

[The_Dude 1,142]

Liberal Presidents nominate liberal Justices, conservative Presidents nominate conservative Justices. Not just to the Supreme court, but throughout the federal circuit courts.

Doesn't work that way. Souter was appointed by Bush 41 and turned out to be more liberal than thought. I can't think of a single appointment by a liberal Democrat that turned out more conservative.

For now, it's still a predominantly conservative court with Kennedy being the only real swing vote. The next up for retirement will probably be Stevens or Ginsburg, so it's gonna be a while before there's an opportunity to replace a conservative with a liberal and actually change the balance of the court. Conservatives can breathe easy for now.

It can't be predominately conservative and have a swing vote. Scalia, Thomas, Alito and Roberts are the only conservative ones- no majority with 4 out of 9.

Don't count out Hilliary Clinton because she may be too old to be Prez and she's as power hungry as they come.

Hillary is too polarizing to be confirmed..... even with 60 votes in the Senate. Kennedy is farily moderate. He does stray to the left and right (usually right). But he isn't predictable like the 4 on either side of him.