Yesterday, Supreme Court Justice David Souter announced his retirement from the bench, at the end of this Court Session. He is considered to be part of the Liberal Wing of the Supreme Court. I always found the designation of Liberal Wing or Conservative Wing to a Supreme Court Justice to be unsettling since, political views were not to be considered by a Judge, when rendering a decision. As I grew up, I was taught that, the courts were to be devoid of political partisanship and were to make judgments based on the interpretations of the Written Laws standing. Other than for the 2000 Presidential Election, I still believe that today. I have found once, a person has been nominated and confirmed to the highest court in our land, they will make judgments based on Written Law without much of a slant to their personal political beliefs. This, I believe, is a good thing.
Now the Right Wing of our Political World is already jockeying, trying to figure out who President Obama will select and how they can vote down the appointee. I cannot condemn them for this because the Left Wing would be doing the same thing if the roles were reversed. What I believe hurts the Right Wing is their inability to focus on what they stand for. The GOP is in such internal turmoil that it is doubtful they will be able to provide a suitable argument against an Obama appointee unless, the pick is so outrageous, the American People will object. The GOP stands to look as obstructionists and trying to undermine the present Administration. This, in turn, will make the American People continue to look away from them.
For the Right Wing, I do not have an answer other than find your message, stick to your message and try to gain back the confidence you have lost from the American People. For the Left Wing, you have an opportunity, with more sure to come. Make sure of your choices and pick those who will use the Written Law to decide court cases. Not Political Agenda to favor a Party Goal. So far, I believe, the Supreme Court has basically remained that way. Let’s keep it so.
That’s how I see it.
Now the Right Wing of our Political World is already jockeying, trying to figure out who President Obama will select and how they can vote down the appointee. I cannot condemn them for this because the Left Wing would be doing the same thing if the roles were reversed. What I believe hurts the Right Wing is their inability to focus on what they stand for. The GOP is in such internal turmoil that it is doubtful they will be able to provide a suitable argument against an Obama appointee unless, the pick is so outrageous, the American People will object. The GOP stands to look as obstructionists and trying to undermine the present Administration. This, in turn, will make the American People continue to look away from them.
For the Right Wing, I do not have an answer other than find your message, stick to your message and try to gain back the confidence you have lost from the American People. For the Left Wing, you have an opportunity, with more sure to come. Make sure of your choices and pick those who will use the Written Law to decide court cases. Not Political Agenda to favor a Party Goal. So far, I believe, the Supreme Court has basically remained that way. Let’s keep it so.
That’s how I see it.
i wish i shared your view that justices 'make judgments based on Written Law without much of a slant to their personal political beliefs'. obviously that's how it should be but i'm not so sure. i've been hearing way too much talk of bsing rulings on 'international law' for one thing.
ReplyDeleteof course i'm somewhat biased but i don't think this statement is untrue: conservative justices base their opinions solely on the constitution while liberal justices base their rulings on other more recent rulings. by definition, they are 'progressive'. i see a serious problem with that.
of course there is room for new ideas, the civil rights movement for example but that seems like an obvious extension of our constitution. i'll eventually have a post about the history of the constitution in regards to the slavery issue, but that's a long story.
'What I believe hurts the Right Wing is their inability to focus on what they stand for'. i think you're exactly right on that one. they need to simplify the message. to me it should all come down to one thing- on any given issue they should come down on the side that is in the interest of individual liberty. too bad the geniuses running the show can't figure that out.
my fear is not so much this appointment but the fact that roberts and ginsberg will probably also retire during obama's term.