John "Danger" Roberts confirmed as Chief Justice, 78-22
Let's be honest. The only thing surprising is the margin of victory.
Well, that, and that Lincoln Chaffee voted for him.
I love this, though:
Twenty-two Democrats opposed Roberts, saying he could turn out to be as conservative as justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court anchors on the right.
Well, damn. Shocking.
Let me say this: Why can the Senate be nakedly political about nominations, and the President can't? If this is a political process (which the Demoncrats loudly proclaim it's not, while administering political litmus tests), then the President, who after all has the authority to nominate the judges, should be entitled to make political choices in selecting the judges. The one difference between the horrible way the GOP worked Clinton's nominees and the horrible way the Dems are working Bush's nominees is that the GOP acknowledged that their opposition was nakedly political.
Which is not, by the way, good, in my book. Honest acknowledgement of vice is no virtue, although Americans continue to express a fascination with the honest villain that far outweighs their admiration for the honest hero.
The Senate as a body needs to make up their mind. Either nominations should be political struggles, or they should be apolitical vetting procedures; mixing them both does not only the nominee but the country a disservice.
Well, that, and that Lincoln Chaffee voted for him.
I love this, though:
Twenty-two Democrats opposed Roberts, saying he could turn out to be as conservative as justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court anchors on the right.
Well, damn. Shocking.
Let me say this: Why can the Senate be nakedly political about nominations, and the President can't? If this is a political process (which the Demoncrats loudly proclaim it's not, while administering political litmus tests), then the President, who after all has the authority to nominate the judges, should be entitled to make political choices in selecting the judges. The one difference between the horrible way the GOP worked Clinton's nominees and the horrible way the Dems are working Bush's nominees is that the GOP acknowledged that their opposition was nakedly political.
Which is not, by the way, good, in my book. Honest acknowledgement of vice is no virtue, although Americans continue to express a fascination with the honest villain that far outweighs their admiration for the honest hero.
The Senate as a body needs to make up their mind. Either nominations should be political struggles, or they should be apolitical vetting procedures; mixing them both does not only the nominee but the country a disservice.
posted by Alexander Ignatiev at 12:56:00 PM
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