Sandra Day O'Connor to Retire From Supreme Court

[Astronuc]

WASHINGTON (AP, July 1) -

Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman on the Supreme Court and a swing vote on abortion as well as other contentious issues, announced her retirement Friday. A bruising Senate confirmation struggle loomed as President Bush selects a successor. "It has been a great privilege indeed to have served as a member of the court for 24 years," the 75-year-old justice wrote Bush in a one-paragraph resignation letter. "I will leave it with enormous respect for the integrity of the court and its role under our constitutional structure."

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The possibility that two or even three justices could retire during GWB's term was our greatest fear. This is a disaster for the U.S.

 

[faust9]

Bush is a Lame Duck right now. He'll have problems pushing an ideologue through the Senate IMO. His appointee will be conservative I'm sure (Warren was 'supposed' to be conservative) but anything too extreme will be tough. It's sad that the main swing voter in court is the one retiring though.

 

[McGyver]

Juustice O'Connor should be commended for her willingness to assess each case before her in terms of "present times and standards," including a occasion or two where she re-assessed and opposed her own opinions written years earlier. In this way, her opinions were typically not pre-disposed to any bias before she was pesented with applicable facts, points, and arguments. I would hope that her replacement is of a similar philosophy of practice. Appointing an agenda prejudiced justice for this type of decision-making post, would do poorly in interpreting the complex needs of the American public and U.S. Constitution today, tomorrow, and in the years to come.

The public must understand that the Supreme Court exists to interpret the U.S. Constitution and best extrapololate what they believe our founding fathers would have invoked upon present day matters if they were alive today. Such ultimate interpretations must take into account the present knowledge of our times.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Bush is a Lame Duck right now. He'll have problems pushing an ideologue through the Senate IMO.

You know, I tend to forget that his presidency is pretty much over. You make a good point. Whewwwww.

Thanks for reminding me of that.

 

[Astronuc]

You know, I tend to forget that his presidency is pretty much over. You make a good point. Whewwwww.

Thanks for reminding me of that.

Bush will not be out of office until January 20, 2009 - inauguration day of the next president. That's 3 years and 7 months - plenty of time to wreak havoc. Can Rehnquist or Stevens survive that time?

What if he were to put Judge Pryor on the Court, the one who placed a religions symbol (the 10 commandments) in his court?

 

[pattylou]

Harry Reid has suggested conservative judges to Bush, that will meet with Democratic support.

A good thing! I doubt Bush will give the suggestions much consideration, but pretty much a win:win for Reid.

(I'll dig up the names.)

 

[pattylou]

"Reid later offered four names of people he said would be good for the court: GOP Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Mike Crapo of Idaho and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. They ``are people who serve in the Senate now who are Republicans who I think would be outstanding Supreme Court members,'' Reid said. "

 

[Astronuc]

I could go with Lindsey Graham of South Carolina.

I have been impressed by former Senator John Danforth, except for the fact that he said that GW Bush was a good president.

Another person I admire is former Senator Warren Rudman.

I just want to see a fair and impartial jurist, who does not have a religious agenda.

 

[wasteofo2]

"Reid later offered four names of people he said would be good for the court: GOP Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Mike Crapo of Idaho and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. They ``are people who serve in the Senate now who are Republicans who I think would be outstanding Supreme Court members,'' Reid said. "

How often have senators been appointed to the Supreme Court? It would seem that Reid should suggest some Judges that he thinks would make good Supreme Court judges, not Senators...

 

[pattylou]

How often have senators been appointed to the Supreme Court? It would seem that Reid should suggest some Judges that he thinks would make good Supreme Court judges, not Senators...

The article went on to discuss that. You could google in quotes, some part of the quote above - if you want to find the exact number. Otherwise, I think it was about 14 (justices that had been senators).

Many senators have experience with the law, (law degrees, a practice, etc) although I don't know how extensively those 14 (?) were involved with sitting as justices.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Bush will not be out of office until January 20, 2009 - inauguration day of the next president. That's 3 years and 7 months - plenty of time to wreak havoc. Can Rehnquist or Stevens survive that time?

What if he were to put Judge Pryor on the Court, the one who placed a religions symbol (the 10 commandments) in his court?

Okay, let's say that I am extremely hopefully that GWBs re-election was his last hurrah. His popularity, and the popularity of his programs is plummeting. The Sunday political shows paint a picture of RW moderates putting distance between themselves and GWBs policies. And he has already lost several key issue; like personal accounts for SS. That is a dead issue, as is..uh hum...Mars.

 

[Astronuc]

Okay, let's say that I am extremely hopefully that GWBs re-election was his last hurrah. His popularity, and the popularity of his programs is plummeting. The Sunday political shows paint a picture of RW moderates putting distance between themselves and GWBs policies. And he has already lost several key issue; like personal accounts for SS. That is a dead issue, as is..uh hum...Mars.

Let's hope so.

I bet GW will leave office and become a board member of several companies which are making big bucks in Iraq and the War on Terror. Nice little racket there. Use your office to start a war, for personal reasons, and then make a huge profit from it. And the Vets - well they have the privilege of serving their country.

Cheney will probably go back to Halliburton, which I believe were notified sometime in 2000 to come up with a plan (hence they were the only company with a plan and got an exclusive contract), and he will get a multi-million dollar bonus.

I know - it reeks of unsubstantiated conspiracy - but just watch in 4 years time.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I know - it reeks of unsubstantiated conspiracy - but just watch in 4 years time.

That's the sad part. You have to justify your statement in spite of the obvious likelihood. Oh, did you hear that they renamed the oil tanker Condoleeza Rice to avoid any appearance of impropriety or misplaced loyalties.

 

[pattylou]

Alberto Gonzalez?

he got flack for his nomination to AG. ("The Geneva convention is "quaint." "torture may sometimes be reasonable.")

I see he is getting flack from the conservative base - presumably on his stand on abortion.

Opinions here?

 

[plover]

As far as I can tell from discussions I've seen, Sen. Lindsay Graham is perhaps the most favored choice by Dems, with second place actually going to Gonzales. There's a perception that Gonzales would be fairly independent once he was no longer directly working for the President (although it's also been suggested that he would become Scalia's patsy). He's also apparently not anti-pro-choice (I don't know anything concrete enough to put this less equivocally , however I understand one-issue, anti-abortion types are quite decidedly against him). Lots of Dem discussion here, and in other threads on the same site.

One intriguing suggestion was 4th Circuit judge Allyson Duncan (Info here and here.) She's a Bush appointee who was confirmed without a hitch (93-0).

At a GOP site, one person handicapped some possible choices like this:

17-1 Samuel A. Alito Jr.
29-1 Janice R. Brown
24-1 Edith Brown Clement
40-1 Miguel Estrada
06-1 Emilio Garza
06-1 Alberto R. Gonzales
08-1 Edith Jones
07-1 J. Michael Luttig
12-1 Michael McConnell
17-1 Theodore Olson
22-1 William Pryor
28-1 John G. Roberts Jr.
36-1 Larry Thompson
11-1 James Harvie Wilkinson III
​

Discussion then moved to Sen. John Cornyn, and later returned to Emilio Garza (5th Circ.) and Edith Brown Clement (5th Circ.).

The AP on some of the http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/06/18/national/w092159D57.DTL .

The NYT on possible nominees and flavors of conservative jurists.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Alberto Gonzalez?

he got flack for his nomination to AG. ("The Geneva convention is "quaint." "torture may sometimes be reasonable.")

I see he is getting flack from the conservative base - presumably on his stand on abortion.

Opinions here?

No way, I hope...

 

[Pengwuino]

I know - it reeks of unsubstantiated conspiracy - but just watch in 4 years time.

No, we can find out right now

*travels into the future*

.
.
.

*arrives back*

Sorry guys, meteor hits Earth next week.

 

[motai]

"Reid later offered four names of people he said would be good for the court: GOP Sens. Mel Martinez of Florida, Mike DeWine of Ohio, Mike Crapo of Idaho and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. They ``are people who serve in the Senate now who are Republicans who I think would be outstanding Supreme Court members,'' Reid said. "

If I remember correctly, states can choose to either have judges in their local courts elected on a non-partisan basis, or selection by merit processes or so forth. I wonder why Supreme Court nominees are suspect to political bickering over the current party in power, especially with such an important position at stake.

But Mel Martinez? He isn't even a judge, and he is deep in the political power play. I remember before the recent elections around 25% (at least) of the commercials on TV were his rather nasty political attack ads against his opponent. He definitely rode Bush's coattails to the top.

Biases that are formed politically should not be introduced into the courtroom... it tends to interfere with the concept of fair justice.

 

[Rev Prez]

I wonder why Supreme Court nominees are suspect to political bickering over the current party in power, especially with such an important position at stake.

Because it is an important political issue.

Rev Prez

 

[Informal Logic]

This is what gets me...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8443761/site/newsweek/

The Holy War Begins
Bush must choose between the big tent or the revival tent. Inside his Supreme Machine.

July 11 Newsweek issue -

...To those on the religious right, anyone on the list would be preferable to Gonzales, whom they regard as a chilling reincarnation of David Souter, Bush One's moderate pick in 1990. Choosing the attorney general might well doom GOP Senate incumbents, they say, by infuriating the party's fervent, evangelical grass roots. "If the president is foolish enough to nominate Al Gonzales, what he will find is a divided base that will take it out on candidates in 2006," said Manuel Miranda, who heads a coalition of conservative groups called Third Branch Conference. A former legal counsel to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Miranda went on to threaten retribution against First Brother, should he decide to run for president. "We're not Republican patsies," he said. "Jeb Bush can go sell insurance."

Since when is our entire country run by extortion? The feeding-tube fundamentalist fringe can take their thug threats elsewhere.

 

[McGyver]

Could GW Be CEO of Fortune 500 Co.?

I bet GW will leave office and become a board member of several companies which are making big bucks in Iraq and the War on Terror. Nice little racket there. Use your office to start a war, for personal reasons, and then make a huge profit from it. And the Vets - well they have the privilege of serving their country.

I don't think GW would do well at a publicly traded company. He doesn't do well when challenged by outsiders, and without Carl Rove at his side. His more suitable position would be with a privately-held company within his inner circle.

 

[Astronuc]

I don't think GW would do well at a publicly traded company. He doesn't do well when challenged by outsiders, and without Carl Rove at his side. His more suitable position would be with a privately-held company within his inner circle.

Like the Carlyle group - http://www.carlyle.com/eng/index.html

For 14 years now, with almost no publicity, the company has been signing up an impressive list of former politicians - including the first President Bush and his secretary of state, James Baker; John Major; one-time World Bank treasurer Afsaneh Masheyekhi and several south-east Asian powerbrokers - and using their contacts and influence to promote the group. Among the companies Carlyle owns are those which make equipment, vehicles and munitions for the US military, and its celebrity employees have long served an ingenious dual purpose, helping encourage investments from the very wealthy while also smoothing the path for Carlyle's defence firms.

The ex-presidents' club

 

[Art]

Sorry guys, meteor hits Earth next week.

Lucky it wasn't a meteorite or an asteroid