09 April 2010

Justice Stevens to Retire

Just Announced.

Obviously, the question now is who Obama will nominate to succeed him.

My predictions:
  • They will be Protestant
    • Stevens is the only Protestant on the court, the rest are Catholic or Jewish.
  • They will be a woman and/or a minority.
    • Because it will be his way to pander to the base when he chooses a basically conservative nominee.
  • They will be tepid, at best, on Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose in general.
    • Since Barack Obama has always been tepid, at best, on Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose in general.
  • They will generally favor a very expansive definition of the powers of the Presidency.
    • Since Barack Obama has aggressively asserted a very expansive definition of the powers of the Presidency.
  • They will generally be rather pro corporate, though not as much as Scalia, Thomas, Alito, Roberts, and Kennedy.
    • Since Barack Obama is ……… You get the picture.
  • They will not be particularly pro organized labor.
    • Obama has clearly been tepid on labor issues, as shown by his efforts to soft pedal the EFCA (Card Check).
What I would like to see, beyond ideology, is that:
  • They not have worked as a prosecutor, which tends to set people off on a legal path that is hostile to the rights of the accused.
  • That they not, and have not been, a sitting Federal Judge, which is increasingly the norm, and we need more diversity of experience in there.
  • Nominating someone who is publicly an atheist.
Things that could make this amusing, but will not happen:
  • Nominating Bill Clinton, just to make the 'Phant's heads explode.
  • Nominating a Muslim.
  • Nominating Hillary Clinton, just to make the 'Phant's heads explode.
But these will not happen.

3 comments :

Cthulhu said...

Nominate me.  Why?

1) I'm a Wiccan, which will make the Phants heads 'spolde.

2) I've been a cop, which means I've seen justice at the street levels, and know what it means to work for a living, whjich will make the Phants heads 'splode.

3) I'm Pro womans rights, endource Roe v. Wade, and am anti Corporate and anti MIC, which would make the phants heads 'splode.

Matthew G. Saroff said...

Dude, do you have a law degree?

Cthulhu said...

Oh sure, be picky.   Lemme contact that diploma mill in Honduras////

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