Obama's Supreme Pick Will Tell the Story

[placton]

For decades, right wing presidents (Nixon on) have selected extreme right wing judges as sops to their voters: the knuckle-draggers, theocrats and big biz types who were (and are) their base. The limpid Dems did little about it - and then acted shocked! SHOCKED! to discover they had approved real bad people to sit on the courts.

Now Obama has a chance to toss a sop to his base - us. The liberals and progressives, the new young dems, us oldsters who have cried at the literal reduction of the supreme court to a bunch of right wing rubber stamps (yeah you, Sandy Day - who soooooo wanted to see a GOOPer she gave us - SHUDDER - Bush II).

Let's see what Barack (can I call you Barack?) does. If he does move the court to the right - with a so-called "moderate" - I suggest it is all over but the shouting for any of the DU agenda. Souter has been a moderate (NOT liberal, except by comparison) judge.

I say it is time for a rabble rouser on the court - say Jonathon Turlow for example. It is doable, and would make his base at least feel we are worth something to the president WE elected.

If not, well ...

[blue_onyx]

1. We will know soon...hopefully Tuesday

From the little I know about the potential nominees mentioned in the media, I think Obama will pick someone that will make most liberals happy. Obviously, not everyone is going to be happy no matter how liberal the nominee is but I can't image Obama picking someone awful.

[villager]

3. Tuesday? That's when California announces the Prop. 8 decision

if Obama has a Supremes announcement, it would make it a very interesting day "judicially," to say the least...

[blue_onyx]

4. I'm just hoping for Tuesday...

I'm anxious to know who will be the nominee.

Later in the week, he'll be busy announcing GM's bankruptcy. Earlier in week, there's the prop. 8 decision. If he does announce the pick this week, it will be quite the news week.

[book_worm]

2. What did Clinton's two choices tell about him?

If your expecting Obama to select a "rabble rouser" I think you will be disappointed. However I believe him to be a constitutional attorney who takes his selection seriously and will select somebody very qualified for the bench--not mearly a bone to throw to liberals.

[dflprincess]

6. I'm sure there's a very qualified liberal out there somewhere

so he can go ahead and throw us that bone.

[Political Tiger]

5. I see the outrage over Obama's SCOTUS nominee is already beginning

What took so long?

[ColbertWatcher]

7. I've been saying Erwin Chemerinsky for the longest time.

He is so liberal he frightens the rabid wingers.

[cali]

11. With so many qualified women, why would he choose a man?

I'll be shocked if he chooses to let the Court remain a male bastion.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Gender aside, I like how the wingers overreact when they hear his name. n/t

[Rosa Luxemburg]

8. we need more left leaning people in the Supreme Court

[Honeycombe8]

16. Anyone Obama nominates will be to the left of Republican Souter. But...

he can't afford to nominate someone too controversial because the healthcare reform fight is coming up.

There will be a chance for another S.Ct. nomination. This is probably IT for the healthcare reform act.

[depakid]

25. It's been positied that health care and the climate change fights are PRECISELY why

ought to appoint an exceptional qualified liberal (incidentally, there aren't any liberals left on the court, though to some extent since they've gone- Stevens has taklen up their mantle).

Check it out:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x8431214

[HamdenRice]

9. Jonathon Turlow?

Jonathon Turlow?

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Well, first of all, I think you mean Jonathan Turley!

Second, I guess that would be great for the Impeachment Obama Now crowd, because Turley has never commented on a presidency since the Clinton years, that he didn't want to see terminated via impeachment. I can see it now -- a "rabble rousing," microphone grabbing Associate Justice giving press conferences every day demanding Obama's impeachment!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Also, I am very curious what "the DU agenda" is? Is it the agenda of all DUers or only of some?

That said, I'm not getting my choice either -- Harold Koh.

[placton]

13. UR so right to laff at me!!

I meant Turley - and read to many Scott TURLOW novels.

[cali]

10. Souter was a repuke (ghw bush) pick

and Obama will choose a solid mainstream liberal to replace him. What I want to see is someone who is a persuader. He definitely will not move the court to the right.

[placton]

12. Let's keep our fingers crossed then

on Obama's pick

[Honeycombe8]

15. Anyone Obama nominates will be to the left of Souter. Souter was a Republican. nt

[Honeycombe8]

14. The timing isn't right. He has a fight this summer for healthcare reform.

Can't afford a fight to death on a Justice at this time. There will still be a fight, no matter who he selects. But a fight where the GOP, and maybe some Dems, make a good case to block the nomination? And even if the nominee gets confirmed, s/he gets confirmed only barely?

No, Obama needs a strong majority confirmation, if possible, to get that behind us, so he is in a strong position for the healthcare reform fight. The GOP is going to stop at nothing to stop healthcare reform. They will send out every dog they've got. They will do anything and everything. It will be brutal.

There will be another chance to nominate a Justice. We probably have only one good chance of getting a meaningful healthcare reform act passed.

I think this is the reality. In a perfect world, he could nominate an activist, survive the brutal fight, and go on to win an even more brutal healthcare reform fight. But in the real world, he needs to go into the fight for healthcare reform with guns ablazin' and his popularity and support at full tilt. But there's nothing wrong with picking a left-leaning moderate who is intelligent, articulate, has common sense, and seeks to truly apply the Constitution to every day life.

[bvar22]

17. My expectation for Obama's appointment.

*A Social Moderate...not a vocal supporter for absolute equal rights for everyone (that includes GBLT), but won't vote FOR social exclusions. Also NOT a vocal supporter of CHOICE, but someone who would not vote against it.

*An Economic Conservative... that will support the powers of the Unitary Executive, and protect Corporate Profits above all else.

[placton]

19. In other words - someone to RIGHT of Souter?

If so, what will we do - having lost another reason for electing Obama?

[bvar22]

20. I'm still waiting to see,

...but I made my prediction based on who Obama picked for his cabinet and his performance On The Issues to date. I don't think he will vary from the established pattern.

As far as what we will do? :shrug:

I think that it is becoming more and more obvious to everyone that Election 2008 was a crushing defeat for the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party.
I stopped contributing to the DCCC and DSCC in 2004, and I will no longer contribute to the DNC after the excommunication of Howard Dean.


The only avenue at this point is to:

* vocally express our opposition to the more blatant insults to Progressive Issues (WAR, Defense Spending, Corporate "For Profit Only" HealthCare, protection of War Criminals, toadying up to the rich & powerful at the expense of the Working Class and The Poor, ...)

*Selectively supporting ONLY Progressive Democrats by donating DIRECTLY to them.
You can start your list with the 93 Co-Sponsors for HR676 (MediCare for All). If your Congress Criter is NOT on this list, he/she does NOT represent your interests and does NOT deserve your money or support.

*Use the Internet to selectively target some of the worst conservative "Democrats" in 2010. Evan Bayh is up for re-election in 2010 and would be a good target. We can all pool our resources and fund a Progressive challenger for Bayh's Primary election.

We sold everything in 2006, cashed out the IRA, moved to The Woods, and planted a big garden.
I'm still active in our local Democratic Party, but my enthusiasm has dropped to almost zero. I'm becoming much more interested in local Humanitarian Issues and working out new ways to deny financial support for our Corporate Owned Government. Our "Taxable Income" is near poverty levels, but we live and eat well. We buy almost nothing "NEW". If we can't make it ourselves, we buy 2nd hand or salvage form previous owners. We are no longer Good American Consumers.
Next year, we will "consume" even less.

If The Democratic Party is going to keep The Wars going and "bailout" Millionaire Wall Street Bankers while telling Auto Workers they have to compete with Non-Union Foreign Slave Workers (who HAVE HealthCare), they will have to do so without our help.

Like I said above, there are still 93 Democrats in The Party (the co-sponsors to HR676). There may be a way to build a NEW Democratic Party (the Old FDR Party) around them, but it is going to take a long time. The Corporate Money Shills (New Dems, DLC, Blue Dogs) are firmly entrenched and are Running the Show.

"There are forces within the Democratic Party who want us to sound like kinder, gentler Republicans. I want us to compete for that great mass of voters that want a party that will stand up for working Americans, family farmers, and people who haven't felt the benefits of the economic upturn."---Paul Wellstone

[Ezlivin]

21. Obama's Supreme Prick Will Tell the Story

When I glimpsed at the title, that's what I thought I saw.

My thought was, "My god, people think even his genitals are articulate."

:)

[placton]

23. now now

I criticize many things about Obama, but never the size of his genitalia!

[Kansas Wyatt]

22. Republicans:

'The President had BETTER pick someone, who is reflective of the mainstream in this country. If he doesn't pick someone at the center (right of center) of the political spectrum, then all hell is going to break loose, and we will fight this nomination every step of the way. We will not allow the Supreme Court to be tainted with any Judges that will consider the left side of an issue.'

Come on now, you all know that is exactly how republicans think.

[Motown_Johnny]

24. I think he can afford a left leaning moderate,

since he should get 1 or maybe even 2 more appointments in his first term.


He should be able to put more liberal justices on the bench with his later picks.