Can I be the first to suggest Harold Hongju Koh as Supreme Court Justice!!!

[HamdenRice]

I'm very sorry about Justice Ginsberg. But we need to start thinking about a replacement, and by far the most appropriate and qualified Justice would be Harold Hongju Koh.

Professor Koh, currently Dean of the Yale Law School, has been a tireless human rights advocate and has been a harsh critic of the Bush administration's policy of detention at Guantanamo.

If America wants to send a message to the world that we've turned our backs on torture, preventive detention, illegal wars, illegal wiretapping and all the other criminality of the Bush administration, there could be no better choice that Dean Koh.

He would be the first Asian American Supreme Court Justice and the first partially physically disabled Justice. He's exceptionally progressive and a Democrat.

He's also a legal genius.

[Sanity Claws]

1. So, have you already written her obituary?

[HamdenRice]

7. No, but it's obvious she is going to retire. I hope she lives a long life.

But it's obvious she is going to retire.

[Renew Deal]

8. How is it obvious?

[HamdenRice]

13. Otherwise, while she recovers, it's 4-4. Very bad news for progressives and ...

Ginsberg is progressive. Realistically, if you know anything about her and Supreme Court politics, Ginsberg is going to retire within the next few days.

[Renew Deal]

21. How do you "know" she is going to retire?

Do you have a source? Are you friends with her? How do you know?

[HamdenRice]

33. I don't "know." But I do know there has been lots of debate in liberal circles ...

about how important it is for liberal Justices not to stay on. Because she is a scholar, I assume Justice Ginsberg is familiar with that literature.

That scholarship focuses on Justices Douglas and Marshall in particular, and it does not paint a pretty picture. If she is familiar with the consensus developed by that literature, I doubt she will want to stay on while she is very sick and in declining health.

[Sanity Claws]

14. No, it's not obvious

Rethink what you just did. Better yet, go to your heart and ask if a feeling human being would immediately talk about replacing someone who has turned ill.
A little humanity wouldn't hurt, no matter what is at issue.

[HamdenRice]

16. Ginsberg is familiar with the scholarship on Douglas and Marshall

There has been a huge amount of scholarship and debate in progressive legal circles about what happened to Justices Douglas and Marshall. Ginsberg is both a justice and a scholar. She knows this literature. Although both of them stayed on because the president at the time was Republican, there is a strong consensus in progressive legal circles that you don't stay on when you are this sick.

She is probably going to resign within days.

[Sanity Claws]

17. Did you read my message?

If you did, you just don't seem to understand what I or others said. Please don't reply any further. I feel dirty participating in this thread.

[HamdenRice]

20. Do you understand the difference between "death" and "retirement"

Apparently not. Do you have any idea how much work it is to be a Supreme Court Justice? Would anyone in their right mind battle cancer while trying to sit on the Court?

Being a Justice is not a death sentence. That's the consensus these days. You don't stay on the court until you keel over.

This is a serious health challenge to Justice Ginsberg, who has read this scholarship, and she will retire.

[Renew Deal]

23. Do you know the difference between "I think" and "I know?"

[Sanity Claws]

24. No, buddy.

What makes you think that she will be so ill that she will retire? Nowhere have you answered that question. Patrick Swayze completed a movie while having pancreatic cancer. Many people continue to move on with their lives with a cancer diagnosis and treatment. She may need a leave of absence to recover from surgery but your assumption that she would be insane to stay on the court is ghoulish and baseless.

[HamdenRice]

25. So you think a movie is as important as the constitutional order?

It's one thing to take some time off a movie set. It's another thing to miss a vote on a Supreme Court divided on a 5-4 knife's edge.

Are you serious? A movie is as important as Supreme Court votes?

Ginsberg is extremely progressive, serious and dedicated to the right outcomes.

[Sanity Claws]

26. You're an idiot

and a ghoulish one at that.
Welcome to my ignore list.

[HamdenRice]

27. Thank you for the ignore. I don't need anyone who equates movies to Supreme Court

decisions commenting on this thread or any other.

[Greyhound]

30. Pancreatic cancer is one of the worst. This may be a bit insensitive, but the facts

are the facts.

http://www.meds.com/pdq/pancreatic_pro.html">Here's some information on the disease and survival rates.

She's 75 years old and really, really sick, denying it serves no purpose. At least she will get the best health care available unlike most others in her position.

[Mz Pip]

2. How about waiting

an hour or two?

[Bicoastal]

3. STOP IT! This is just plain ghoulish...

The woman is still alive and in The Court

[aquart]

4. Is he young and otherwise extremely healthy?

Did all his relatives die in their nineties?

[HamdenRice]

9. He's 54 and healthy nt

[ogneopasno]

5. Congrats, you're the first! But...you didn't really have to be.

[Renew Deal]

10. 7 minutes

From the time it hit LBN to the time of this post. Lunatics

[Renew Deal]

6. No we do not need to start thinking about her replacement.

Fucking disgusting!

[mainer]

11. We have to plan for the unexpected

Not necessarily as a replacement for Ginsberg, but for any one of the others who may decide to retire. Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't know anything about him.

[ogneopasno]

12. We don't have to have a plan, but I'm sure Obama has some ideas..

[Tangerine LaBamba]

15. I nominate this

for the most disgusting post on DU today. Maybe ever.

The woman's recovering from surgery. You know nothing of her condition, but right now, she's a sitting Justice on the United States Supreme Court, and your posturing and presenting some guy as her successor is about the most craven thing I can imagine.

Let's hope no one circles you when you're sick and talks about who can take your place.

[mainer]

18. the truth is, talk of succession is probably already underway in D.C.

it's a sad and ghoulish conversation to have, but pancreatic cancer is one of the worst.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

31. Yes, that's true,

and her prognosis probably isn't good.

But I find it tasteless beyond the pale to respond to news of her surgery with some vapid nomination to replace her.

Do you honestly think that Obama hasn't had a list of nominees for Justices' seats for a long, long time?

The absolute vulgarity of that post was just offensive beyond belief.

[WolverineDG]

19. She's not dead yet

nor has she retired. :eyes:

dg

[BonnieJW]

22. Jonathan Turley

He would be an amazing choice. And I do hope Justice Ginsberg gets well, but she will probably have to retire. Pancreatic cancer takes a lot of treatment. Patrick Sweazy.

[HamdenRice]

32. I think Turley would be a good choice also! nt

[ColbertWatcher]

28. He sounds great.

Personally, I'd like to see Erwin Chemerinsky.

But, either one is way more qualified than any Federalist Society cultist.

[HamdenRice]

29. Thank you for an actual on topic post! nt