WSJ Op-Ed: Judging John McCain

The Wall Street Journal ^ | January 30, 2008 | COLLIN LEVY

[Aristotelian]

What if campaign finance reform was more important to conservative voters than abortion? If that sounds improbable, have another look at the judicial nomination gauntlet soon to be faced by Sen. John McCain. Despite a pro-life voting record, conservative court watchers are questioning whether he could be trusted to fill seats on the Supreme Court.

The Republican candidates have all said they want judges who will strictly interpret the law. But the conservative base is beginning to mutter loudly about how Mr. McCain's competing priorities could threaten his ability and willingness to push solid nominees past a Democratic Senate.

The issue came to a froth on Monday over a WSJ.com piece by John Fund ("Winging It") that quoted Mr. McCain saying he would be more inclined to nominees like Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts than to Justice Samuel Alito, who "wears his conservatism on his sleeve." Mr. McCain responded quickly, insisting that he was a great supporter of Justice Alito's confirmation, and that he'd like to clone both of the new justices, presumably for use in future vacancies.

(snip)

The problem for Sen. McCain is that the justice train runs straight through the middle of McCain-Feingold

(snip)

The impression that a President McCain might go wobbly is furthered by the senator's participation in the Gang of 14

[Aristotelian]

I shudder to think what might happen if McCain gets to pick the next SCOTUS justices. The only thing worse, having Hillary or Obama pick them.

[TonyWpi]

I was thinking about the “judges” issue and it occurred to me that it’s more likely for a liberal judge like Stevens or Ginsburg to retire during the next presidential term. That means the democrat president would put a liberal on to replace a liberal. Sure, we don’t GAIN ground but we actually don’t lose ground.

That said...I can re enforce my statement that if John McAmnesty is the republican nominee I will sit out the election or write in Fred Thompson.

I cannot vote for a traitor in good conscience. There’s basically no difference between Obama, Clinton or McCain.

[2ndDivisionVet]

The Wall Street Journal is talking as if John McCain already occupied the oval office [shudder] which is a technique they will use between now and Minneapolis to push his “inevitability” and sideline Mitt Romney. I won’t address Mike Huckabee here, because he has already signed on as McCain’s running mate to keep the “Bible beaters” and “Holy Rollers” on the reservation (which may work, seeing as how moronic they’ve been acting this year).

[GOP Poet]

yes, one of McCain's competing priorities is making sure he keeps his lunch date with his 'friends' Kennedy, Feingold, and all the rest. Who gives a poo about killing babies, or whether women can legally marry women and decimate the sanctity of marriage, or whether the ACLU is going to continue to decimate the soul of this country in courts across America.

Yes, John McCain has hispriorities my friends and that is keeping his liberal one's around for the quickie joke in the hallway. We all know he will do anything for an endorsement, but not for the righteous reasons, but for the fulfillment of his huge ego. No thanks.

[ari-freedom]

I cannot vote for a traitor in good conscience. There’s basically no difference between Obama, Clinton or McCain.
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that’s ridiculous. what about the war against islamofascism?

[DakotaRed]

The lamestream media knows that conservatives will once again stay home and not vote if McCain is chosen. Why do you think they are backing him?

He is the useful fool in providing Hillary (or Obama) an easy run into the Oval Office.

[ari-freedom]

I still can’t believe conservatives would allow Hillary Chavez and Bill get in the WH. Not under any circumstances.

Obama I can understand. He may be very lefty but he’s a soft cuddly naive liberal, like Carter or McGovern. Hillary is a hard style Leninist that will use physical force to achieve her objectives.

[Aristotelian]

I agree. The anti-Hillary sentiment is much, much stronger than the anti-Obama sentiment. So McCain would probably have a better shot at beating her than him.

[browardchad]

what about the war against islamofascism?

What about it? McCain wants to extend the protection of the Geneva Conventions to civilian enemy combatants, and opposes anything vaguely resembling torture, even if thousands of innocent lives may be at stake.

Great political juggling there, by the way: he gets to be tough on defense and soft on terrorists at the same time. I guess that's called "reaching across the aisle."

There's more, much more involved in fighting Islamofascism than talking tough about keeping our troops in Iraq.

[nickcarraway]

But having Hillary Clinton as the president may be the only savior of the Republican party.

[ari-freedom]

ok so we’ll just throw everything out then since mccain isn’t Jack Bauer.
I mean...there will be cheering throughout the Islamic world once hillary wins. al qaeda and Iran will become emboldened and that will put our soldiers and other Americans all over the world at greater risk.

[ari-freedom]

I don’t think we can afford that risk. This is not the 90’s when the biggest problem was the deficit.

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I think the election is rigged. I vote “no confidence.”

[Sir Francis Dashwood]

I vote “no confidence.”

Soros & company rigged the election.

[gotribe]

That is likely to be our choice: McCain v. Hillary/Obama ticket.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

[SandwicheGuy]

I cannot vote for a traitor in good conscience.

And there it is, the stark reality. Either write in a name, stay home, leave it blank... Voting for evil makes you complicit. I, too, will not vote for a traitor.

[MBB1984]

There is very little difference between McInsane and the left on Islamofacism. McCain wants to close Gitmo (just like the leftists), McCain wants ACLU trials for terrorists (just like the leftists), McCain is against waterboarding (just like the leftists).

I’d much rather see McInsane lose and try to recover in 2010. A McInsane victory would ensure the gutting of Conservatism within the GOP for years to come.

[dforest]

McCain would do whatever made Fat Teddy happy.

I won’t vote for him because I really do not like him.

[not2worry]

I cannot vote for a traitor in good conscience. There’s basically no difference between Obama, Clinton or McCain.
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DUH! With any one of these candidates in office the judges appointed will change the laws so that we will not be able to identiy the enemy, much less fight a war against them.

The courts will be loaded with cases that will take years to prosecute.

BTW, tortue will be outlawed and Gitmo closed, so the war against islamofacism will continue with the assistance of our new POTUS.

You can say whatever you want about President Bush but he never waivered on the WOT.