And Then There Were Eight...
Not really, since O'Connor isn't leaving until her replacement is found, but I like to make my titles catchy.
Bush is expected to select a candidate for the Court soon. I have a sinking suspicion that unless he picks Ted Kennedy, the entire Democratic Party is gonna go berserk. And to tell you the truth, I don't understand why. It's a battle they can't win, based simply on the numbers.
Choosing a Supreme Court Justice is one of a President's most far-reaching powers, given the fact that a justice holds his position for life. Rehnquist, for example, was nominated by Nixon. It's 2005, and a choice Nixon made is still influencing the nation. That's an awesome amount of power- and responsibility.
Democrats are urging Bush to choose a "moderate"- possibly because even as they fight, they know they're destined to lose. The Republicans control a (slim) majority in the Senate, thus Bush could pretty much choose anyone who doesn't have a criminal record and get him pushed through. True, the Democrats could filibuster, but then McCain would unleash the "nuclear option." So the Democrats are basically in a battle they can't win. At least they should lose it with some dignity.
Note: I generally vote for the individual I believe has the best character instead of party affiliations. Since the manner in which I live my life generally precludes government intervention, it is more important to me what the man who leads the nation holds dear than what he's planning to do. All of that is just to say I'm not "Republican" or "Democrat"; if the Democrats had this same opportunity, I can assure you I would suggest that the Republicans back down.
Sadly, though, neither side will or would. Why? There are two reasons- one emotional and the other political. Emotionally, the opposing party thinks that it will benefit them if they can bloody the nominee (and the President) in a long drawn-out battle. The Democrats, in particular, remember well the days of Bork. Secondly, both parties have become so owned and controlled by special interest groups that they are basically forced to fight, like pit bulls held in a ring. They fight because the money (millions and millions of it) tells them to. It's as simple as that. In politics, sadly, everything boils down to money.
Bush is expected to select a candidate for the Court soon. I have a sinking suspicion that unless he picks Ted Kennedy, the entire Democratic Party is gonna go berserk. And to tell you the truth, I don't understand why. It's a battle they can't win, based simply on the numbers.
Choosing a Supreme Court Justice is one of a President's most far-reaching powers, given the fact that a justice holds his position for life. Rehnquist, for example, was nominated by Nixon. It's 2005, and a choice Nixon made is still influencing the nation. That's an awesome amount of power- and responsibility.
Democrats are urging Bush to choose a "moderate"- possibly because even as they fight, they know they're destined to lose. The Republicans control a (slim) majority in the Senate, thus Bush could pretty much choose anyone who doesn't have a criminal record and get him pushed through. True, the Democrats could filibuster, but then McCain would unleash the "nuclear option." So the Democrats are basically in a battle they can't win. At least they should lose it with some dignity.
Note: I generally vote for the individual I believe has the best character instead of party affiliations. Since the manner in which I live my life generally precludes government intervention, it is more important to me what the man who leads the nation holds dear than what he's planning to do. All of that is just to say I'm not "Republican" or "Democrat"; if the Democrats had this same opportunity, I can assure you I would suggest that the Republicans back down.
Sadly, though, neither side will or would. Why? There are two reasons- one emotional and the other political. Emotionally, the opposing party thinks that it will benefit them if they can bloody the nominee (and the President) in a long drawn-out battle. The Democrats, in particular, remember well the days of Bork. Secondly, both parties have become so owned and controlled by special interest groups that they are basically forced to fight, like pit bulls held in a ring. They fight because the money (millions and millions of it) tells them to. It's as simple as that. In politics, sadly, everything boils down to money.
posted by Yorick at 11:25 PM
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