August 25, 2005

THE COURT FOLLOWS THE ELECTION RETURNS:

On High Court Vote, Centrist Democrats Caught in Middle: Roberts is qualified and likely to be confirmed, but they worry about the judiciary's direction. (Maura Reynolds, August 25, 2005, LA Times)

The outcome appears all but certain, but the nomination of John G. Roberts Jr. to the Supreme Court is still likely to be a nail-biter for the Senate's centrist Democrats.

On the one hand, they would like to reward President Bush for consulting with them in advance and picking a nominee who appears legally better qualified and ideologically more temperate than many had expected.

On the other hand, more than Roberts' fate hangs in the balance. For many Senate Democrats, the debate over Roberts is increasingly a battle over the nature and the direction of the Supreme Court and the president's efforts to narrow or overturn some of its controversial rulings.


That's what happens when you're in the minority.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 25, 2005 12:00 AM
Comments

Exactly.

The minority faction needs to oppose within limits. One simply can't derail the entire judicial appointment process because you'd rather not have your opponents nominate people.

The proper response is for the Democrats to admit the party is in serious decline, make the necessary adjustments in policy and rhetoric, and remind certain members of the coalition that if the party is to win elections, they need to get to the back of the bus.

Posted by: Chris Durnell at August 25, 2005 11:32 AM

Last night on Fox News, Juan Williams, God help the left if he's their best spokesperson, got completely twisted up trying to defend the indefensible saying that Bush shouldn't be allowed to tilt the Supreme Court to the right but must maintain the balance as it was with Justice O'Connor.

He seemed taken by surprise when Bret Hume pointed out that Clinton changed the balance on the Supreme Court and tilted it left by nominating Justice Ginsberg. Williams actually said something like, well we shouldn't do that anymore (at least until a Democrat is back in the White House).

Bush was so right naming a white male this time, just to make sure that there wouldn't be a perceived seat for each of the left's vaunted minorities.

Posted by: erp at August 25, 2005 12:06 PM
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