*'s SCOTUS Pick: Ted Olsen?

[stopbush]

Just thinking out loud here. He's already been through a confirmation process, he's been in the background for a few years and he gets the Barbara Olsen died on 9/11 sympathy vote. And he's as much of a RW lunatic as the rest of 'em.

Comments?

[Catholic Sensation]

1. Ted Olsen... The American Spectator guy?

Or am I thinking of someone else?

[stopbush]

5. Yep. he's currently Solicitor General, if I'm not mistaken.

[Fiona]

28. No, he's not S-G anymore...

he stepped down a year ago.

He's also 65 years old - probably too old for SC consideration.

[pscot]

10. Right out of Richard Mellon Scaife's pocket.

Hillary should lead the philibuster on this one.

[Bethany Rockafella]

2. I don't like that guy. Wasn't he involved in the Arkansas project?

[stopbush]

6. Yes he was.

[mmonk]

3. He has propaganda value

as the heat gets hotter on bush.

[tk2kewl]

4. I'd prefer any one of these Olsens:

[pscot]

8. Gee

They don't look Swedish.

[davidinalameda]

9. those aren't the Olsons

those are the Ingles

or however you spell their name

and Ted Olson would be terrifying as a justice

I saw him on TV the other night and thought about him being named to the court and shuddered at the thought

[tk2kewl]

11. oh yeah.. o well, what Laura Olsen was I thinking of?

:silly:

[KansDem]

14. Perhaps you were thinking of Jimmy Olsen?

Jimmy (left) with unidentified reporter...

[tk2kewl]

15. I like Jimmy.

He tries real hard. :D

[Sparkman]

29. Laura Engels...little house on the prairie. Melisa Gilbert. just a guess?

[Orangepeel]

30. Nellie Olsen, probably

Laura Ingles' arch nemisis. Her busybody mother and long-suffering father ran the general store.

They'd all make better justices, as well!

:D

[Gildor Inglorion]

12. Even this one would be better!

http://www.amiannoying.com/(t32zol45y3io4hmilrrjbla4)/Resources/Images/photo.aspx?image=3853.jpg

[patcox2]

7. He's probably less of a lunatic than some, could be a surprise

He's problematic to analyze, actually. He's not a religious nut, he's just an extreme partisan who would do anything, lie cheat and steal, run over his mother, to achieve and keep power for himself, for Bush and the GOP. But that really doesn't tell you where he is ideologically. He'd have zero to do with foreign policy, thats the only area where he's shown his colors. He looks like a neocon, but he might be going along to get along. Most neocons, on domestic issues, are libertarian leaning, the opposite of the christian conservatives.

I think that kind is actually the kind thats likely to turn and surprise you when appointed. he would no longer be in the game, he would have achieved a lifetime appointment with as more power than he has ever had. He would actually be free, for the first time in his career, to do what HE wants, and not what he has to do out of loyalty. Who knows what he'd do.

[pscot]

13. Somehow I don't find much comfort

in your line of reasoning. While we might not be able to predict exactly what sort of Justice Olsen would become, we do have enough evidence to suggest that he's a sociopath, possibly certifiably nuts and probably not the ideal choice to sit on the highest court in the world's greatest Democracy.

[patcox2]

17. Well you should.

Because the fact is that if Bush goes with someone even as "moderate" as Olson, there is no chance in hell the dems will be able to stop him. Olson strikes me as an extreme partisan, but not an extreme ideologue. He may be a narcissistic personality, not likely a sociopath, but as I point out, he has been a loyal soldier all his career, he could well be changed by achieving the ability to be himself for once.

We are lucky its not Ashcroft, and you should take comfort in that. With Ashcroft, you know exactly what he'd do. Fortunately, I think he was too independant for Bush's taste and Bush won't appoint him because he's (Bush) a petty little prick. Good for us.

Sinners make better judges, in my opinion, than prissy fucks. If he's a serial philanderer, he may be more forgiving than you would realize.

[DURHAM D]

20. I am curious about your view of Olson - do you know him?

Labeling him a moderate seems a very big stretch. He strikes me as a true believer.

[patcox2]

33. No, but I have seen a few like him.

He is no moderate, but he is not the worst kind of christian right whackjob either. He has made a acreer as a hatchet man for the republican party, but from all I have seen he seems a party man, and not so much an ideological zealot. There's a big difference. I think historically those are the kind who are more likely to surprise you. Take scalia, an intellectual ideologue from the get-go, but he wasn't a republican party tool. He got on the court and he has consistently pursued his ideological course because ideology is all he is about. Whereas a party tool, a guy like Olson, his interest is not policy or ideology, its just the republican party, winning. People like that, they are like soldiers, getting on the court is like being released from active duty, he could surprise. I'm just trying to look at the bright side.

[senaca]

23. Olson pick seems to be a non starter at this time.

Since Olson is an interesting addition to Cooper's defense team, I doubt that while the heat is one for the Adm. that they'd take him away from the case as long as their feet are to the fire. If things get extra dicey I bet the name James Baker in defene of Rove or whoever is under fire will be not long in following.

[Sterling]

24. No surpirise from this guy. He is as bad as they get.

From the inner circle of the BFEE.

[KG]

16. he's a serial adulterer - wonder if our librul media will bring that up?

[stanwyck]

22. The gossip

was that he had a new girlfriend within weeks of Barbara Olsen's death. And she was the second (or third?) wife. He also has a bad habit of forgetting how many children he has and has to be reminded. Oh, those crazy Republican family values.

[fooj]

18. Thanks for making my day!

:cry:

Peace.

[Retrograde]

19. Of course! A chance to play up 9/11 again

Poor Ted, if the Senate does not confirm then the terrorists have won.
/sarcasm

[against all enemies]

21. Ok with me, he's a pretty old bastard. Better than a young asshol

[devilgrrl]

25. Isn't this the same guy who remarried less than 6 months...

after his wife was killed 9/11. So much for a mourning period.

[RetroLounge]

26. Either of these would be a better Olsen to pick

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2004/06/23/marykateolsen,0.jpg

RL

[progressivebydesign]

27. Shit! I forgot about that scary man!! More old white men.. oh joy! n/t

[Lori Price CLG]

31. Oh, he's *definitely* on the list for his role in the 2k coup for his 9/11

role and cover-up.
Ted Olsen is a Reichwing sickko and killer; he's in, for sure.

Lori Price

[jmowreader]

32. Age is the problem here

Olson's 67 years old. I can't imagine Bush, who wants to impinge his will on the country for as long as possible, would select someone that old.

Bush has a three-pronged test for any potential SC nominee:
* no more than 45 years old--this would keep him or her on the court for at least 20 years.
* fundamentalist Protestant, preferably hardline Baptist
* extremely pro-big business.

It's real simple: if the nominee won't walk onto the court and immediately overturn Roe v. Wade and (what the hell was the name of the case that gave women the right to birth control?) then stomp any attempt to keep ANWR from being turned into a sheet of pegboard, what good is he?

[GiovanniC]

35. Have to Disagree With Some of Your Points

My suspicion is that Bush would take a lot of shit if he nominated an old white man to the Court. My #1 guess: Janice Rogers-Brown. A minority and a woman. But at the same time, a total crackpot, someone who does not recognize the right to privacy, and is very favorable to corporations.

I don't think that the nominee, whether it's her or someone else, will completely overturn Roe v. Wade. It's a fine line that has be managed here. The nominee will probably vote to impose very strict restrictions on abortions. Waiting periods, parental notification, banning "late term abortions", maybe spousal consent, maybe having to watch "right to life" videos prior, et cetera. But not a complete overturn. Why? Because the abortion issue is the #1 motivator for Republican voters to come to the polls. Without abortion, Republican voter turnout would crash. Not to mention a sizable population of "single-issue" voters who, once satisfied, would likely not be voting much anymore.

The nominee will, however, be extremely pro-business and very likely will be extremely pro-Christianity.

[jmowreader]

36. It won't be Janice or Priscilla

All the threats of nuclear retaliation will backfire on the administration and on Frist if he makes either of those two his nominee.

My choice: Edith Hollan Jones. The Washington Post says of her,

Known as a strong and outspoken conservative, she has written opinions that called into question the reasoning behind the Roe v. Wade abortion ruling, has been an advocate for speeding up death penalty executions, and is a vocal proponent of "moral values." She also wrote a 1997 opinion throwing out a federal ban on the possession of machine guns and has been an advocate for toughening bankruptcy laws.

Hates Roe, loves machineguns. What's not to like?

[GiovanniC]

37. One Thing I Know

If Roe v. Wade gets overturned, the Republicans will see their donations and their voters dry up very quickly.

Regarding Janice Rogers-Brown, I know how these weasels work. They will say that she was just confirmed to the federal bench by these Democrats, therefore they will be hypocrites if they attempt to filibuster her now. And the tiny, tiny percentage of people who actually pay any attention at all will buy that line. And our Democratic representation will cave like they almost always do.

[zanne]

34. He argued for Bush in Bush v. Gore

If I'm not mistaken, he argued for Bush in front of the Supreme Court in the 2000 election debacle. I've thought about the possibility of his nomination, too.