Roberts -- Extremely well qualified . . . and extremely conservative

[dolstein]

Aside from not being Hispanic or a woman, Roberts is really a dream candidate for the Bush administration. He is, without doubt, extremely well qualified in terms of professional experience. And unlike Scalia and Thomas, no serious questions are likely to be raised as to judicial temperament. He is, by all regards, well liked and well respected, including by many liberals.

But let's not kid ourselves. He is VERY conservative. Perhaps not quite Janice Rogers conservative, but not that far off either.

And the guy's YOUNG. He could be on the court for another 30-35 years.

Would he vote to overrule Roe? Probably, but that's a bit of a distraction. If Roe is overturned, abortion will remain legal in much of the country. What the conservatives are really gunning for is a radical reinterpretation of the commerce clause that will effectively wipe most labor and environmental laws off the books. Roberts has already expressed doubts about the constitutionality of the Endangered Species Act. The right-wingers are salivating.

Let this be a lesson to everyone -- and particularly the left-wingers who couldn't bring themselves to vote for Al Gore in 2000. Elections matter.

[trumad]

1. two years of judicial experience

and he's well qualified...errr OK.

[dolstein]

4. You forgot to mention

--that he clerked at the Supreme Court
--that he served as Deputy solicitor general
--that he was one of the leading appellate attorneys in the United States before being appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
--that he has argued more than thirty cases before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The fact that he has only served on the DC Circuit for two years doesn't mean squat. After all, Earl Warren had NEVER served on ANY court before we was appointed Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Neither had William O. Douglas. Or Felix Frankfurter. Or (to take a conservative example) William Rehnquist.

You seem to be under the mistaken impression that only nominees with extensive experiences as federal appellate judges get appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Think again.

[kodi]

14. how many years of judicial experience did earl warren have?

0

[The Jacobin]

2. "If Roe is overturned, abortion will remain legal in much of the country."

Sez you.

I live in Texas. Governor Goodhair would call a special session to out law it the next day.

[dolstein]

6. Pardon me, but so what?

If the legislature misjudges public opinion, they'll be replaced with pro-choce legislators.

Sorry, but if you think giving state legislatures the ability to regulate abortion is worse than having the Supreme Court decide that Congress cannot pass laws regulating wages, working conditions, pollution, etc., you've got a few screws loose.

[The Jacobin]

9. The what is this:

There is no misjudgment on the part of the legislature in Texas. They will outlaw abortion in a day and very few will be replaced.

Sorry that you give so little thought to those women who do not and cannot live in a state like California or New York. You need to tighten your own screws there.

[Yupster]

21. I don't think the Texas Legislature

would outlaw abortion.

Restrict yes, but outlaw, no.

[dweller]

3. One man's distraction

may mean a woman's right to choose is lost.


i can't side with that equivalence. sorry.
dp

[dolstein]

7. Sorry, you don't have my sympathy

One reason the Democratic Party is in such piss poor shape is because it was taken over by people who think that the party should stand for legalized abortion and nothing else.

I'm more alarmed at the prospect of the Clear Air Act and the National Labor Relations Act being declared unconstitutional.

[dweller]

11. not looking for your sympathy

but as a male, i have no choice or voice in this matter but for support for a woman's right to choose.

if you find that a piss poor stance, then you have freely my sympathy.
dp

[creeksneakers2]

5. I agree with you that the commerce clause is very important

That's what the GOP is really after. If they could get rid of it, they could halt federal regulation of almost everything.

[electron_blue]

8. Roe v. Wade *not* a distraction

It's more than just an inconvenience of traveling over state lines to get an abortion. Assumign you'd have that option (which most women who wanted an abortion would *not* have).

This is about increasing control over women, over the poor and over the children who in 20 yrs will be voters.

Don't let yourself be fooled into thinking Roe v. Wade has no relevance to the workforce and the common "man". It is big.

[sendero]

10. And yet..

.... 55% of white women voted for Bush** in 2004. When they KNEW he'd be making a SC appt, and they KNEW he'd appoint a wingnut.

They don't care, why should I?

[renaissanceguy]

15. I completely disagree. Consider that many

Americans don't even KNOW what the Supreme Court DOES, much less know how important it is. Hell, many don't even know that the president nominates judges.

This was not highlighted in the 2004 campaigns. Typical Americans didn't realize just what was at stake.


http://www.cafepress.com/liberalissues.21326737

[sendero]

23. Perhaps that is true..

.... who's fault is that?

Americans are getting the government they deserve. There is just no other way to spin it.

[dolstein]

12. Compared to labor and environmental laws? Yes it is.

Thanks for doing everything within your power to confirm suspicions of many former Democrats that the Party that used to stand for the New Deal, the Fair Deal, the New Frontier and the Great Society now stands for legalized abortion and little else.

Sorry, but Roe v. Wade hasn't even come close to guaranteeing that every woman has access to abortion services. If Roe were overturned tomorrow, life would go on.

But if a right-wing majority of the Court suddenly decided that Congress exceeded its authority when it enacted statutes like the National Labor Relations Act, the Social Security Act, the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act, life would change dramatically for millions of people. The Federalist Society doesn't want to turn the clock back to 1973. Far from it. They want to turn the clock back to 1937. If you're more alarmed at the prospect of Roe being overturned than you are about the minimum wage being outlawed, heaven help you.

[LeFleur1]

17. Roe V Wade

If Roe were overturned tomorrow, life would go on. And if Blacks were banned from the neighborhood, life would go on. If every Muslim in America were arrested, life would go on. If the FBI monitors your reading list, life will go on. If US prisoners of war are tortured, life will go on. If Karl smears Wilson, life will go on.
If they take away women's right to vote along with the right to control medical decisions about her body, life will go on.

I think I might be done with the Democratic Party if the majority really does not see a woman's right to make decisions about her body as an important issue, just as important as labor's right to organize or the right to earn a minimum wage for work. I've come a long way and I'm not going back without a fight. If Democrats don't stand with me, F*(& 'em.

[zara]

13. you are right about the commerce clause. that is the foundation ...

of the liberal state. The "switch in time that saved nine". Few americans understand how hard fought it was to gain the legal authority to regulate private contracts. For decades Lockner was the law. It was only the threat to pack the Supreme Court by Roosevelt--which threat damaged Roosevelt severely--that convinced then Justice Roberts (Fred) to switch his vote and allow the New Deal programs to survive, unlike those that had been killed repeatedly by the four horsemen (four very old conservative justices) and Roberts, for years.
The only change is 9/11. Some of the conservatives seem to have had a change of heart on throwing back the authority of the central state after that.
But they do have an answer: roll back the authority on everything but military and drugs.
John Roberts could be an agent of tremendous harm.

[UT troll]

16. He may be conservative, but at least he's prestigious.

He *may* be conservative, but the important thing is that Bush didn't put a Tulane Law grad on the highest court in the land.

[Lindacooks]

18. There's only one thing I like about this:

and that's the MSM calling a 50 year old 'young'. Makes my 47 year old heart lighter.

Of course, the rest of him makes me sick to my stomach.

[Yupster]

22. Way to find a silver lining there Linda

I'm right there with you age-wise.

Haven't been carded or called young in a good while.

[Lindacooks]

25. LOL - thanks!

And it is a very thin silver lining, more like silver-plated, or maybe silver leaf.

[McCamy Taylor]

19. He's Renquist Jr. He sucks big time and will do so for 30-40 years.

[seabeyond]

20. exactly...couldn't bring themselves to vote for Al Gore in 2000. Elections

this si exactly why two elections i have lost friends, cant look at family.......am a different person is because the elections matter. right here. and now that bush has done it.....(and i jsut dont see a fight here) i am being told i am giving up on women and enviroment adn civil rights.

elections matter.

[Johnny_GRMI]

24. Instantly illegal

If Roe V Wade is overturned, Abortion becomes instantly illegal in the State of Michigan. We would revert back to a 1931 law that makes it illegal except to save the mother's life.

Make no mistake about it, pro-lifers are rejoicing over this nomination.

This guy is a corporate lacky who believes in government Secrecy. Hes exactly what I expected. This is what America voted for in November. They voted to overturn Roe v Wade and didn't even know it. We deserve it, what a bunch of dummies.

This guy is qualified for the position and I believe the President has the right to appoint judges who share his ideals to the Supreme Court. The Democratic party did not harp on this point nearly enough in the 2004 Campaign. This is what the election was all about. As far as I'm concerned, Roe v Wade was doomed on election night.

This is going to be a turning point for America. We have to rally around this when it happens. This can be a vehicle of real change. Let the culture war begin.