Obama, the GOP, and John Paul Stevens’ Supreme Court Retirement

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Stevens will be the end of an era, the last WWII vet on the Supreme Court is retiring.
Obama should select someone with at least the same judicial philosophy as Stevens, a mature practical conservative judge who arrived at a liberal point of view in light of the real world.
We need a tough justice that will stand up for the people, not for 'Citizen's United' corporate interests and not someone who would go along with the corrupt conservative activist judges who tossed out precedent to give us 'Citizen's United'.

Pete of AR 6:07PM April 14, 2010

for an anti-Catholic bigot you are quite an expert on Catholicism and the formation and motives of its members on the Supreme Court. How do you find the time?
Every time I read one of your posts I am reminded that you have absolutely no concept of what makes a moral, honest and objective man. You are without formation or foundation - an intellect adrift - untethered by logic, ethics or objectivity. Not unlike our president.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 2:23PM April 12, 2010

Where have you been since Jan 21 2009?
I'm certain he'll stick to the running plan of doing something most people don't want and then calling the "opposition" obstructionist or worse.
30% does not a majority make.
We'll see in November.

Chris Petty of GA 1:35AM April 11, 2010

Oddly, though, when the Supreme Court finally got its majority of five Catholic Republican men (Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, Alito and Kennedy), they didn't overturn Roe. Instead, they overturned laws against gender-based wage discrimination (Ledbetter), denied a woman her constitutional challenge against capricious male supervisors in a public-employer setting and, worse, denied taxpayers the benefit of having some real checks and balances from those in the lower ranks on the little "kingdoms" of old boys in government agencies (Enquist), and decided that corporations somehow are "people" with free-speech rights to buy politicians and elections using unlimited money (Citizens United.) They also seem to oddly like lots of guns in society.
"Judicial Activism" is a thing subject to interpretation in the eye of the beholder. This beholder knows that the current majority of Catholic men on the Court are wrecking the reasonable rights of citizens as aggressively as they possibly can. The real parishoners of the Catholic Church ought to be ashamed of their guys. But, you know what? Most aren't---either because they aren't paying attention or simply don't give a hoot.
With a little luck, Obama will use this appointment to highlight again and again the total outrageousness of the Citizen's United decision----just as we see those new corporate ads hit the air in the 2010 elections.

Muser of NM 3:46PM April 10, 2010

Brought us Roe v. Wade and millions of babies butchered for the sake of personal convenience. We have a ego-centric, relativist, progressive president who doesn't know when life begins - and jokes about the deadly implications of his stupidity.
It's not tough to figure out that the new justice will be a pro-abortion, progressive who interprets the law based on personal whimsy and a political agenda.
Not quite what the Founding Fathers had in mind.

R.L. Schaefer of CA 2:21PM April 10, 2010

If you took the time to watch a good news media you would know better than to say what you said. There are people on obama's list Republicans has said they support.
There are no far right people on obama's list are there ?
You’re believing obama's propaganda that Republicans are party of no. Being against obama's agenda is following the people's wishes according to polls...

Bill Hedges of MO 10:42AM April 10, 2010

Anyone who doesn't buy into the 'Neo-Conservative Anarchy' should know that 'Conservative Support' won't be forthcoming under any circumstances anyway. Conservatives will only support judicial activists of the Far Right flavor, only those willing to undermine the Constitution for partisan gain.

pete of AR 9:23PM April 09, 2010

We will see if obama has 59 votes anymore. obama could not get appointees through until break. Guess what Democrats joined Republicans in opposing them.
Time will tell.
Expect choice for Court to have some conservative support to get passed through.
Proof of obama's sincerity in off shore drilling is in the details not his ambiguous wording campaign phases. Obama said Heritage Research supported his health plan and they sure didn‘t.

Bill Hedges of MO 6:50PM April 09, 2010

Republicans "Bork" nominated left-leaning candidates.

david of ID 6:37PM April 09, 2010

but he is not about to appoint a "not-left" Supreme Court justice to appease the conservatives when he has 59 votes in the Senate. He, being a constitutional scholar and all, knows very well how badly the far, far, far, far "right" appointees of the Bush years (Roberts and Alito) are damaging the lives of most Americans in case after case. These are his opportunities to balance that out as best he can and improve the distant future of America, and he will do so.
I would hope Obama will appoint a third woman. Republicans may think that having hissy fits and acting like wild hyenas over the prospect of another female will help them in November. It most surely won't. Women vote, you know.

Muser of NM 6:27PM April 09, 2010