tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post6386288701435343705..comments2023-05-25T03:08:18.166-06:00Comments on Montana Headlines: Supreme over-reachUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-32537260937412934642008-06-16T22:34:00.000-06:002008-06-16T22:34:00.000-06:00I share the conspiratorial view that Samuel Alito ...I share the conspiratorial view that Samuel Alito was always going to be the nominee and that Harriet Miers was cannon fodder for the "it has to be a woman" crowd.<BR/><BR/>I also now have more respect for McCain's leadership in the Gang of 14, which achieved the confirmation of all but two of Bush's nominees and preserved the ability of Republicans to filibuster leftist judges that we consider to be extreme. <BR/><BR/>Let's just hope that McCain understands that he needs to do some pandering to the right.Montana Headlineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16149094528547382638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-50185645735276896952008-06-16T11:07:00.000-06:002008-06-16T11:07:00.000-06:00Doug may very well be right, that McCain wouldn't ...Doug may very well be right, that McCain wouldn't run the sort of ad that I outlined.<BR/><BR/>But that's not to say some 527 wouldn't run something like it in some swing states. In which case the language would probably be stronger than the words I used.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-67206434305978594102008-06-16T10:08:00.000-06:002008-06-16T10:08:00.000-06:00Well, I'm not sure the Harriet Meyers fiasco would...Well, I'm not sure the Harriet Meyers fiasco would buttress a claim of fidelity, but he eventually did accede to conservatives with that choice, a decision I'm not confident a President McCain would make. <BR/><BR/>That stated, I also understand your pragmatic approach; a McCain appointee would hypothetically be more an originalist than one submitted by Obama. I just don't believe McCain will stand up and take that bruising battle with regard to appointments because of his penchant for pandering to the left. His record on that is clear. <BR/><BR/>I won't be voting for hope, no matter which candidate is offering it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-31530879905694761952008-06-16T08:43:00.000-06:002008-06-16T08:43:00.000-06:00Doug, you forget that conservatives didn't trust B...Doug, you forget that conservatives didn't trust Bush, either. I certainly didn't.<BR/><BR/>But he proved himself trustworthy on a number of things on which he never waivered, and one of those things was federal judges. Conservatives stayed "on the reservation" with Bush for a long time in no small part because of his fidelity on that issue.<BR/><BR/>My hope is that McCain will realize that the judiciary is so important to conservatives that they will stay in his corner as long as he doesn't budge.<BR/><BR/>One thing is certain -- McCain appointees will be far superior to Obama appointees. It is impossible to conceive of a scenario by which Obama, with a strong majority of Dems in the Senate, won't pack the courts with the very worst sort.<BR/><BR/>The judiciary is not going to win the election for McCain by itself, but it has the potential of rallying conservatives -- not just for the election, but for the bruising battles with Congress that McCain will have ahead of him if elected.Montana Headlineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16149094528547382638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-77234228902617360522008-06-15T21:18:00.000-06:002008-06-15T21:18:00.000-06:00My problem is that the trust issue, with regard to...My problem is that the trust issue, with regard to McCain, has already left the station. He can say he'll do x,y, or z, but his track record in such matters leaves me no confidence he will do so. Further, I don't believe McCain would run the advertising anonymous proposes; it would be anathema to his personality <I>and</I> his style of governance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-24861736495715021952008-06-15T13:40:00.000-06:002008-06-15T13:40:00.000-06:00Like "sweating," I wondered if the court didn't ju...Like "sweating," I wondered if the court didn't just give McCain a chance at winning the presidency with its ruling. Democrats would howl, but I could envision an ad that would say something like:<BR/><BR/>"In June, the US Supreme Court by a 5 to 4 vote granted a constitutional right to foreign terrorists.... Barack Obama supported the court's decision...John McCain said the court's decision was one of the worst in the nation's history..."<BR/><BR/>"When you vote, it is important to know that Barack Obama will appoint judges who legislate from the bench. John McCain will appoint no-nonsense judges who interpret the law, not make it."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-23474099046982173652008-06-14T10:17:00.000-06:002008-06-14T10:17:00.000-06:00This case is a reminder of just how far away we ar...This case is a reminder of just how far away we are from restoring restraint to the federal judiciary.<BR/><BR/>The fact of the matter is that Democratic appointments have been pretty much 100% reliable, while Republican appointments have been very hit and miss. <BR/><BR/>Only Bush II has a perfect record of appointing solid SCOTUS nominees. Nixon and Reagan had 33% records, while Bush I had a 50% record. In fairness to Reagan, his two "misses" were much more conservative than Nixon and Bush I's misses, and his organized approach to vetting appellate court nominees laid the groundwork for future SCOTUS appointments -- so he should be given at least as high a rating as Bush I.<BR/><BR/>Much of this, of course, is what each President had to work with, both in terms of available nominees and in terms of the makeup of the U.S. Senate that was doing the confirmations. Democrats controlled the Senate for all of Nixon's appointment, when Justice Kennedy was appointed (we should have had Robert Bork,) and I think with Souter. Bush II had a Republican Senate for his appointments.<BR/><BR/>McCain can indeed seal the deal with conservatives if he can convince them that he will vigorously vet and appoint only originalists to the bench at every level. This is also an issue where the general public will also respond, since the idea of judges making up law never plays well.Montana Headlineshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16149094528547382638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7592841981416728347.post-76637047835333727672008-06-14T09:31:00.000-06:002008-06-14T09:31:00.000-06:00As I wrote on my blog, McCain could win the electi...As I wrote on my blog, McCain could win the election on this issue alone. All he has to do is say that if he is elected, he will ignore this Supreme Court decision.Sweating Through foghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07138602196953744517noreply@blogger.com