Posted on 10/22/2006 10:20:25 AM PDT by Norman Bates
When Anthony M. Kennedy takes his seat among the black-robed justices of the Supreme Court, his presence behind the raised mahogany bench is remarkably unremarkable.
There is nothing of the buttoned-down manner of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., the professorial mien of Ruth Bader Ginsburg or the biting wit of Antonin Scalia.
Genial and unassuming, Justice Kennedy poses questions without any display of theatrics. Outside the courthouse, tourists have been known to enlist his help snapping photos, unaware that they are pressing a justice into service.
Yet after 18 years on the court, at 70, Justice Kennedy has emerged in recent months as the court's new power center. There is as much talk about the "Kennedy Court" as there is about a "Roberts Court."
"As he goes, so will the court go on many issues," said University of Connecticut political scientist David Yalof, who specializes in constitutional law.
Justice Kennedy, whom President Reagan appointed, long has been in the court's philosophical center, a key vote in determining whether more liberal or conservative justices will prevail. But his pivotal role was largely overshadowed by that of fellow centrist Sandra Day O'Connor, who retired this year.
Now, Justice Kennedy has no cover.
(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...
Thus be ready for the never ending parade of Kennedy puff pieces as the Washington DC Political-Media Complex try to seduce Kennedy to stay on the dark side
Justice Kennedy needs to retire while GWB is still President so he can appoint a true conservative.
Do you think Justice Kennedy really cares about Republicans keeping control of the Supreme Court?
He cares about himself, and loves his power.
So one who who's not writing a puff-piece about Kennedy might take away from this that he's mind-numbingly boring?
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1723858/posts?page=20#20
A true Bush conservative, like Kathleen Cardone, the judge who sentenced the Border Patrol agents to 10 and 12 years?
Even if Kennedy were to retire, Bush would not be able to appoint anybody given the buffoonery of the current Senate, and the possibility of a Dem Controlled Senate would mean no nominees would get through.
Like when she's laying her head on her desk and sleeping??
One decision does not make her a bad pick.
What has been the longest vacancy in recent times?
My guess is the Powell-Bork-(Douglas) Ginsberg-Kennedy seat. With the seat coming open in July and then Biden scheduling the confirmation hearings not until mid-September -- that was unheard of at the time as I recall...
It might have been the O'Connor-Roberts-Miers-Alito seat but then O'Connor stayed on until her successor was confirmed.
It seems doubtful that Bush will regain the kind of momentum that enabled him to put through the Roberts and Alito appointments. Indications are that he may lose some seats in the Senate, although I don't think it's certain. But the political atmosphere also has changed, and he has been put more on the defensive.
Alito and Roberts got through because the Democrats didn't dare stand up and say what they really thought: that the stood for abortion and perversion, and would never approve of a judge who was pro-life or pro-family.
But I think they are readier to stand up and take that kind of stand now, as the tide or religious conservatism that supported Bush in 2004 seems to be ebbing.
Seems. It still might be possible for him to rally the troops one more time if we hold congress.
She has to follow the law. It is the prosecutor who pushed this case to the extreme and who wanted mandatory minimum sentencing because he charged the border patrol officers with using a gun in the commision of a crime. Don't blame the judge. Blame the prosecutor.
I think there will be at least one more vacancy before Bush leaves office. Hopefully the troops can be rallied one more time.
I don't remember the case. Some business case, not affecting whatever was chic for what passed as the
dominant media in those days.
She didn't have to give them the MAXIMUM SENTENCES!
What's extremely amusing about that particle of the article is that Kennedy is widely considered to be one of the biggest attention-lovers on the Court. He loves the media. He loves the attention he receives when the two sides have to fight over his vote. Just because he's relatively mild during oral argument , doesn't mean he doesn't display theatrics in other areas of his work.
Kennedy is proof, positive that the "middle" is fundamentally evil and to be avoided.
The judge in that case is as mucha moonbat as the prosecutor.
Couldn't agree more.
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