Posted on 11/04/2006 5:00:12 PM PST by Clintonfatigued
For weeks, commentators have speculated that significant numbers of conservatives, alienated by over-spending, the Iraq War, and other perceived GOP disappointments, will stay home on Election Day, giving one or both Houses of Congress to Democrats. But for those who care about reforming the Supreme Court, sitting this one out may soon look like a mistake of historic proportions.
For the past several weeks, there has been a rumor circulating among high-level officials in Washington, D.C., that a member of the U.S. Supreme Court has received grave medical news and will announce his or her retirement by year’s end. While such rumors are not unusual in the nation’s capital, this one comes from credible sources. Additionally, a less credible but still noteworthy post last week at the liberal Democratic Underground blog says, “Send your good vibes to Justice Stevens. I just got off the phone with a friend of his family and right now he is very ill and at 86 years old that is not good.”
Normally, this news might be too ghoulish to repeat publicly. Nevertheless, with the election just days away, it is news that should be considered. It points out what could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance for the 20-year movement to recast the court with a constitutionalist majority. It would be a cruel twist indeed for conservatives to “teach Republicans a lesson” next Tuesday, only to be taught a lesson themselves within months when new Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy (D.-Vt.) leads a Democratic majority against the most important Supreme Court nominee in decades. Conservatives whose mantra is “no more Souters” should bear in mind Robert Bork’s fate after the Senate changed from Republican to Democratic hands in 1986.
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
If the GOP does maintain a strong Senate majority, the moonbats, Leahy, Biden and Durbin will go absolutely nuts.
Chuck Schumer's head will explode.
For that reason, I must concur: Janice Brown to the SC.
I wanted her for Chief Justice sooo bad.
That would be great, but I read that she isn't interested.
Here's another important column.
I actually predicted he would time his resignation to affect the November elections.
But I thought he would resign in August. I did not anticipate he would wait until Rovember to leak news of his impending retirement.
It is not necessary to have a justice appointed if Stevens retires. At that moment we will have 4 conservative justices, one wishy washy justice (Kennedy) and 3 liberals. We will have a conservative court the moment he retires with or without a successor being named. This is so because most of the circuits are already conservative and there will be insufficient liberals votes (even should wishy washy Kennedy vote with the liberals) to overturn those conservative decisions. If the president is denied the approval of his new appointment by filibuster then the republicans can use the same method on any future appointments by succeeding democrat presidents, keeping the conservative court indefinitely. Hopefully in the future we can keep at least 41 conservatives in the senate who will oppose liberal appointments.
/johnny
Interesting ping.
I understand his wife is very ill and that he commutes to Fla where she stays year round now...he was considering retiring last year to spend more time with her. If this is true, and he is moribound, how sad that he did not retire and spend quality time with her in their declining years.
We don't and we won't. Right now we are at 55-45. Next year we will be even fewer than that.
Oh ye of little faith. I'm not convinced of that just yet my friend.
And I am placing some bets on Steele and Tom Kean Jun-ya.
Everyone is writing off Santorum so I'll put him in a side pool. Then I'll take Missouri, Montana, and Washington State as my trifecta. :)
I will say this. I do hope to see maybe another source break this rumor tomorrow. When a article has to mention a post on DU it sort of is a tad shallow. Also unless I missed it the phrase "off the record" or "on Backround" are used. Still, I shall have my eyes peeled
Prayer actually offends these people. I was told this by a liberal artist I know -- that she and her friends are OFFENDED when prayer is mentioned.
Worth repeating...
"Republicans must maintain control of the U.S. Senate..."
Thanks for the ping. Please diregard our differences on the Harris threads.
Even another Anthony Kennedy would be an improvement on Stevens.
Stevens is the most bitter, radical member of the court. Stevens would fit right in on the Florida or New Jersey Supreme Court, who make it up as the go. Or the 9th Circus Court of Appeals.
If the Dems took the Senate, they couldn't stall a Bush appointment 2 years. There are a few Dems who would vote with the GOP.
Ben Nelson D-NE, Tim Johnson D-SD, Kent Conrad D-ND, & Robert Byrd D-WV voted for Alito.
Other Democrats in "the gang of 14" are Joe Lieberman D-CT, Mary Landrieu D-LA, Daniel Inouye D-HI, Mark Pryor D-AR, Ken Salazar D-CO.
Only 22 Democrats voted against John Roberts.
41 Democrats voted against Sam Alito and 1 Republican, Linoln Chaffee.
Probably. None of this of course means the President has to appoint a RAT to the Court. I don't know the ramifications of him appointing a Conservative to the bench, having a RAT Senate deny the appointment, the Presidnet appoints another hardcore Conservative, maybe more so than the first appointment. Anyone know how long that can go on under the Constitution? How long can a former Liberal seat be vacant? Is there anything stopping a short vote on anything before the Court? Two Libs retire, no one but Conservatives available, so sorry. I'll look into this myself, but if anyone has the short answer to a long question. Blackbird.
Congress determines how many justices sit on the Supreme Court. Congress can increase or decrease the number of justices any time it chooses.
Sorry for the vanity earlier....please keep the kitties away from me!
"Everyone is writing off Santorum so I'll put him in a side pool"
Not everyone is writing him off.
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