What about her age?

October 5, 2005 | Michael Katz

[Mygirlsmom]

My grandmother, bless her soul, went back to work at the age of 65 as a bookkeeper for a small heating and cooling company.

She "attempted" to retire several times, but darn it, if those "young things" they hired to try and replace her just couldn't catch on....and so she stayed. And computers? - they couldn't possibly remember 200+ names like SHE could! (this was in the late 70's early 80's) She ultimately retired at the age of 85 and went on to enjoy that retirement for another 5 years.

[Plutarch]

Sixty is not too old, unless you figure the GOP won't win again for 20 years.

We optimists at FR think the Democrats are a laughable moonbat-ridden finished force, and will not soon be electing any Presidents. Think again.

At Tradesports , a Democrat President winning in 2008 is trading at roughly 50%. Should a Democrat win, a Second Term is more likely than not. Should a Republican win in 2008, keeping the streak alive in 2012 would be increasingly difficult. Thus as it stands now, the odds are quite likely that a Democrat would be President for her retirement prone ages 64-72.

President Bush needs to lock in several decades of quality conservative originalist quality with this pick, not 10-15 years of mediocrity. Withdraw NOW!

[NeoCaveman]

72 for a woman who has attained 60 is pretty likely.

SCOTUS nominees are a crapshoot. I wish Souter had been older, maybe he'd be gone by now.

I have not commented on the quality of the pick, only the age.

Heck, my choice Edith Jones is 56. My other favorites Posner and Eastabrook are Reagan appointees - older still.

They just got to outlive the Hillary! administration.

[auboy]

May 10 for me. June 25 for augirl. A fine vintage, indeed.

[grin]

60 year olds belong in nursing homes to prevent them from hurting themselves and others. These people are there for life regardles of mentai or physical condition

[Huck]

To what purpose then require the co-operation of the Senate? I answer, that the necessity of their concurrence would have a powerful, though, in general, a silent operation. It would be an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the President, and would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters from State prejudice, from family connection, from personal attachment, or from a view to popularity. In addition to this, it would be an efficacious source of stability in the administration.

Federalist #76

[Huck]

To what purpose then require the co-operation of the Senate? I answer, that the necessity of their concurrence would have a powerful, though, in general, a silent operation. It would be an excellent check upon a spirit of favoritism in the President, and would tend greatly to prevent the appointment of unfit characters from State prejudice, from family connection, from personal attachment, or from a view to popularity. In addition to this, it would be an efficacious source of stability in the administration.

...The possibility of rejection would be a strong motive to care in proposing. The danger to his own reputation, and, in the case of an elective magistrate, to his political existence, from betraying a spirit of favoritism, or an unbecoming pursuit of popularity, to the observation of a body whose opinion would have great weight in forming that of the public, could not fail to operate as a barrier to the one and to the other. He would be both ashamed and afraid to bring forward, for the most distinguished or lucrative stations, candidates who had no other merit than that of coming from the same State to which he particularly belonged, or of being in some way or other personally allied to him, or of possessing the necessary insignificance and pliancy to render them the obsequious instruments of his pleasure.

Federalist 76

[88keys]

The fact is that 60 is old.

The fact is, that's not a fact at all! It all depends on the person in question.

IMHO, 60 is quite young. I'm quite younger than that myself, but my parents are quite older than that, not to mention my Aunt, all of whom are currently enjoying the latest of their "world travels" (an excursion that would make me quite tired out, but doesn't phase them in the least...and my Uncle is home working, LOL!)

Just so you know that, "whippersnapper"!! ;)

[WestSylvanian]

Ginsberg was treated for cancer, wasn't she? Maybe she or John Paul Stevens will croak and Bush will get another chance.

[Graybeard58]

60 year olds belong in nursing homes to prevent them from hurting themselves and others

You may be right but don't let my 85 year old mama hear you say that. Unless you want a whuppin' from her.

[Lessismore]

Does anyone else on here, besides all the other reasons against her, see a problem with her age

Bush is very comfortable with old people. Look at his cabinet -- they are older than Brezhnev's Politburo.

[smalltownslick]

So she maybe only goes ten or twenty years instead of thirty. Excuse me if I don't see that as the end of the world.


Weren't there just a lot of people complaining about lifetime appointments, about people serving on the Supreme court TOO long??? Which is it, too long or too little?

[smalltownslick]

60 year olds belong in nursing homes to prevent them from hurting themselves and others.


As someone said earlier, 60 is the new 30. Do you have a clue??????? 60 year olds in nursing homes? we're just hitting our strides.

[UnbelievingScumOnTheOtherSide]

It is very hard for an American political party to win 3 presidential elections in a row.
It's almost impossible to win 4, and it is impossible to win 5.

1860 Lincoln (R)
1864 Lincoln (R)
1868 Grant (R)
1872 Grant (R)
1876 Hayes (R)
1880 Garfield (R)

[NeoCaveman]

I knew when I posted that comment that I should have said since 1900. Clearly reconstruction was an extraordinary circumstance. More extraordinary than the great depression.

Thank you for keeping me honest and correcting me. I believe my point still stands when it comes to modern politics.

[roylene]

Here are two excerpts from medical articles.

Colon Cancer Screening
About the author:
Dr. Minocha  is a practicing gastroenterologist and author of "Natural Stomach Care: Treating and Preventing Digestive Disorders with Best of Eastern and Western Therapies

President Reagan was found to have colon cancer during his presidency and is a shining example of the fact that early detection saves lives. Other celebrities afflicted with this disease include Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg, and pro-baseball Yankee player Darryl Strawberry.



Colon cancer
A colonoscopy can save your life
By Debbie Carvalko

Publicity from recent high-profile cases — including the colon cancer of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Ginsberg, and the death of Peanuts comic strip creator Charles Schultz — have brought wide public attention to the disease.

[IIntense]

"People really need to get over their bigoted feelings about age"

I don't know if I'd say bigoted but I go along with the "get over" advice. Little children die. A teenager dies of a heart attach while playing basketball. A woman smokes all her life and dies at 87. Two others I knew, smokers, lived past ninety. My brother was diagnosed with lymphomic leukemia at age 61. Our dad died three wks. before his 81st birthday, and mother at 87. Youngest brother began treatment for lymphoma at age 55. Someone else dies at 61...didn't smoke or drink.

I'm not arguing with statistics, yet to speculate on how long Harriet Miers (or anyone) will live is just that, pure guess-work. We do not know when any of us will die.

If Harriet Miers is appointed to the SCOTUS and votes according to our views, we will want her there for a long time. If not, we will want her to retire and be replaced by someone conservative.